UC-NRLF 


SB 


TECHNIQUE 

of 

SOCIAL  SURVEYS 


By  MANUEL  C.  ELMER,  Ph.  D. 

Associate  Professor  of  Sociology 

University  of  Minnesota. 


Revised  Edition 


UNIV. 


llntiirraity  printing  Co,, 

1920 


COPYRIGHT  1917-1920. 

by 
M.  C.  Elmer 


PREFACE. 


It  is  now  generally  recognized  that  in  order  to 
carry  out  any  community  program  it  is  necessary 
to  have  certain  definite  facts  concerning  the  com- 
munity. 

No  intelligent  social  worker  today  attempts  to 
outline  the  work  for  any  group  of  people  without 
taking  an  inventory  of  the  community  in  order 
to  become  thoroughly  acquainted  with  its  assets 
and  liabilities.  Because  of  this  new  attitude  and 
an  increasing  demand  for  a  brief  guide  in  making 
a  community  survey,  the  previous  edition  of  this 
book  has  been  exhausted,  and  the  continued  re- 
quests have  made  this  revised  edition  necessary. 
As  stated  in  the  preface  to  the  earlier  edition,  the 
purpose  of  this  book  is  to  meet  certain  specific 
problems  of  social  workers,  namely: 

1.  What  relation  has  the  problem  under  consid- 
eration to  the  community  life  as  a  whole? 

2.  What  things  should  be  considered  in  making 
a  study  of  any  special  problem? 

3.  How  can  the  information  desired  be  secured  ? 

4.  How  can  the  data  and  information  gathered 
be  put  to  the  most  effective  use  ? 

5.  Can  this  survey  be  successfully  followed  by 
other  investigations  along  different  lines  or 
be  made  the  basis  for  an  annual  inventory  or 
"Community  Week?" 

While  there  are  many  excellent  questionnaires 
and  treaties  published  on  social  surveys,  the  au- 
thor has  found  in  supervising  the  work  of  civic 
organizations,  clubs,  religious  groups  and  college 
students,  and  in  directing  social  surveys  where 
both  experts  and  volunteers  are  used,  that  a  hand- 


434803 


book  covering  the  above  points  is  necessary  if 
efficient  work  is  to  be  done. 

The  author  has  made  an  effort  to  eliminate  all 
unnecessary  material  and  questions  of  social  phi- 
losophy, and  include  only  such  items  as  have  been 
found  to  be  of  greatest  aid  to  the  hundreds  of 
volunteers  and  students  whose  work  he  has  di- 
rected in  making  surveys  and  investigations  of 
rural  and  urban  communities. 

M.  C.  E.,  1920. 


CONTENTS. 


PART  I— ORGANIZATION  OF  COMMUNITY 
AND  SURVEY  MACHINERY. 

The  Social  Survey 3 

The  Survey  Plan.... 6 

^General  Outline  for  a  Comprehensive  Social  Survey 9 

*  The   Survey  Machinery j, 11 

General  Sources  of  Information 17 

Compiling  the  Data 21 

PART  II— SECURING  THE  DATA  FOR  THE 
COMMUNITY  SURVEY. 

A.  Introduction   29 

B.  Natural  Physical  Conditions 32 

C.  Population — 

I.  Distribution  and  Density 34 

II.  Nationality  36 

III.  Domestic   Life 36 

IV.  Vital   Statistics    38 

D.  Social  Conditions  and  Activities  Relating  to  Health, 
Convenience  and  Comfort  of  Community — 

I.  Housing 39 

II.  Public  Utilties  49 

III.  Disease  and  Health  Measures 54 

E.  Wealth  and  Industry— 

I.  Distribution  of  Wealth 55 

II.  Industrial  Activities  60 

III.  Transportation   and   Storage 64 

F.  Group  Relationship — 

I.  Political 65 

II.  Ameliorative  Reformatory  and  Punitive 69 

III.  Recreation  and  Amusement 82 

G.  Education — 

I.  Public  Schools  85 

II.  Private  Schools  91 

*    III.  Libraries   92 

IV.  Fine  Arts 92 

V.  The  Press  93 

VI.  Higher  Education 93 

H.     Religious  Activities  94 

\ 


PART  III— INTERPRETATION  AND  USE 
OF  DATA. 

Interpretation  of  Data 101 

Publicity .105   '^ 

The    Community    Program 110 

SELECTED  BIBLIOGRAPHY  113 


TECHNIQUE 

of 
SOCIAL  SURVEYS 

Part  I 


Organization 

of  the  Community 

and  the  Survey  Machinery 


THE  SOCIAL  SURVEY. 


Up  until  the  early  years  of  the  20th  Century 
there  had  been  very  few  scientific  studies  made 
of  community  activities  and  conditions  of  life. 
Most  persons  worked  without  having  a  definite 
knowledge  of  the  facts  underlying  the  activities 
of  the  group  life  concerned.  Consequently  much 
time  and  effort  was  wasted  while  the  information 
necessary  for  effective  work  was  being  secured 
thru  costly  experience.  The  value  of  having  on 
hand  the  exact  information  concerning  a  com- 
munity was  brought  home  to  an  increasing  num- 
ber of  people  during  the  period  of  the  war.  The 
lack  of  a  knowledge  of  actual  facts  when  most 
needed,  and  no  understanding  of  methods  to  be 
followed  when  facts  were  to  be  had  caused  much 
delay  and  waste  of  energy.  It  is  now  generally 
recognized  that  it  is  as  necessary  for  a  community 
to  know  the  extent  and  character  of  its  assets  and 
liabilities,  as  it  is  for  a  business  man  to  know  if 
there  are  any  leaks  in  his  business  or  along  what 
lines  his  most  promising  fields  of  development 
are  located. 

During  the  past  fifteen  years  there  "has  devel- 
oped a  widespread  desire  to  understand  social 
conditions  and  activities.  In  almost  every  city  of 
any  importance  investigations  are  being  carried 
on  in  some  field  or  other.  The  organization  carry- 
ing on  the  survey  may  be  a  church  or  Christian 
Association,  making  a  study  of  its  particular  com- 
munity; a  civic  league,  making  an  investigation 
of  the  local  industrial"  situation,  a  charitable  or- 
ganization investigating  the  poor  quarters  of  the 
city;  a  department  of  health  making  a  sanitary 


4      TECHNIQUE  OF  SOCIAL  SURVEYS 

survey;  a  special  committee  appointed  by  the  state 
or  city  studying  the  efficiency  of  some  public 
institution;  or  it  may  be  an  intensive  survey  of 
the  industries  and  living  conditions  as  was  carried 
on  in  London,  Pittsburg,  Birmingham,  Alabama, 
or  Springfield,  Illinois.  Whatever  the  source  of 
the  particular  investigation  may  be,  the  number 
and  variety  of  surveys  that  are  being  contem- 
plated and  made  throughout  the  country  indicate 
that  there  is  a  general  demand  arising  to  have 
some  accurate  information  in  regard  to  existing 
conditions. 

The  remark, — "little  of  lasting  value  was  ac- 
complished by  the  survey"  is  frequently  heard, 
and  the  criticism  may  not  be  unwarranted,  not- 
withstanding the  vast  amount  of  data  collected. 
The  fault,  however,  is  not  so  much  in  lack  of 
energy,  as  in  misapplied  energy.  Too  often  a 
group  of  people  stirred  by  some  particular  abnor- 
mal feature  brought  vividly  to  their  attention, 
thru  some  epidemic  or  serious  accident,  begin  to 
agitate  along  that  particular  line,  without  any 
accurate  knowledge  of  the  community  as  a  whole. 
The  result  is  failure  to  accomplish  anything, — or 
worse  still,  some  entirely  inadequate  legislation  is 
passed.  Often,  to  say  the  least,  any  action  which 
might  have  resulted  in  improving  the  situation  by 
getting  at  the  real  causes  is  postponed.  If  the 
group  of  people  on  becoming  interested,  had  co- 
operated with  those  agencies  already  existing,  and 
had  succeeded  in  making  a  careful  scientific  sur- 
vey the  results  would  have  been  greater,  and  more 
lasting,  with  less  expenditure  of  time  and  money. 
If  a  complete  and  thorough  survey,  as  outlined  in 
the  following  pages,  were  made  before  attempting 
to  inaugurate  a  reform  movement  the  source  of 
the  undesirable  conditions  would  be  discovered, 
and  all  efforts  might  then  be  directed  toward  the 


THE  SOCIAL  SURVEY  5 

place  where  they  would  be  of  greatest  service. 

The  findings  of  a  social  survey  should  bear 
much  the  same  relation  to  the  community  that  an 
architect's  plans  do  to  the  construction  of  a  great 
industrial  plant  or  an  educational  institution.  It 
should  furnish  the  information  which  will  direct 
the  growth  and  activities  for  a  community.  It 
should  not  only  help  remedy  present  defects,  but 
lay  the  foundation  upon  which  the  next  genera- 
tion may  build. 


TECHNIQUE   OF   SOCIAL  SURVEYS 
THE  SURVEY  PLAN 


While  every  conceivable  type  of  a  Social  Survey 
has  been  followed,  they  may  be  grouped  into  three 
general  divisions: 

1.  The  investigations  dealing  with  or  relating 
to  some  particular  phase  of  community  life,  such 
as  are  usually  carried  on  by  charity  organizations, 
church  federations,  vice  commissions  and  some- 
times in  making  sanitary  and  food  surveys.     In 
this   class  no  comprehensive   schedules   are  fol- 
lowed.     The    organization    making    the    survey 
stands  for  the  solution  of  some  particular  prob- 
lem which  is  either  becoming  a  menace  to  the 
community,  or  concerning  which  public  sentiment 
has  been  greatly  aroused.    While  a  survey  of  this 
type  may  consist  of  a  careful  and  detailed  study 
of  the  particular  activities  and  conditions  inves- 
tigated, the  lack  of  information  concerning  the 
inter-related  activities  and  indirectly  conditioning 
phenomena  serves  as  a  decided  check  upon  the 
constructive  effort  resulting  from  the  survey.  The 
survey  is  necessarily  not  only  of  less  scientific 
value  than  if  more  comprehensive,  but  as  a  rule, 
it  does  not  afford  sufficient  background  for  the 
successful  handling  of  the  specific  problem  for 
which  it  was  instigated.    Nor  does  it  serve  as  the 
basis  for  a  constructive  policy  extending  into  the 
future. 

2.  Another  type  of  investigation  often  spoken 
of  as  a  Social  Survey  consists  principally  of  his- 
torical and  broadly  descriptive  monographs   of 
Communities.     These  surveys  have  a  very  im- 
portant place  in  the  study  of  a  community,  but 
they  serve  only  as  a  basis  for  comprehensive  social 


THE  SOCIAL  SURVEY  7 

surveys,  or  inventories  of  the  communities  as  they 
exist  at  the  present  time.  While  it  is  necessary 
to  study  the  growth  and  development  of  a  com- 
munity in  order  to  determine  an  adequate  policy 
for  the  future,  if  an  investigation  of  a  community 
is  limited  to  a  study  of  the  past,  it  fails  to  fulfil 
the  purpose  of  a  social  survey. 

3.  The  third  type  of  social  surveys  consists  of 
those  community  studies  which  are  more  or  less 
comprehensive  in  the  scope  of  their  inquiries, 
making  an  intensive  study  of  several  inter-related 
conditions  and  activities  in  the  community  and  of 
their  bearing  upon  each  other.  The  recognized 
purpose  of  this  type  of  survey  is  to  bring  about 
needed  changes  and  to  increase  the  general  effi- 
ciency of  the  community  by  creating  a  social  con- 
sciousness which  will  help  the  members  thereof 
to  "learn  to  live  together." 

The  scope  of  the  social  survey  will  be  largely 
determined  by  the  specific  problem  for  which  the 
survey  was  started  as  well  as  the  moral  and  finan- 
cial backing  it  receives.  There  may  often  be  un- 
controllable factors  which  interfere  with  the  com- 
pletion of  a  comprehensive  survey,  and  which  may 
necessitate  the  concentration  of  all  efforts  upon 
some  specific  problem.  Where  the  community  to 
be  investigated  is  a  very  large  city,  this  is  most 
probably  the  best  method  to  follow.  However,  if 
such  surveys  are  to  be  of  any  permanent  value,  or 
to  exert  any  influence  beyond  the  immediate  com- 
munity in  which  they  are  made,  they  should  fit 
into  some  large  scheme  of  classification.  In  the 
first  place  in  order  that  the  results  obtained  by  one 
investigation  may  be  compared  with  results  of 
similar  investigations  carried  on  in  other  commu- 
nities. In  the  second  place,  if  a  specific  survey  is 
made,  it  should  fit  into  a  general  comprehensive 
scheme  which  may  be  followed  in  later  investiga- 


8      TECHNIQUE  OF  SOCIAL  SURVEYS 

tions,  thus  conserving  all  of  its  value  not  only  as 
a  study  of  the  specific  problem  investigated,  but 
also  as  an  aid  to  other  problems  which  are  directly 
or  indirectly  related. 

Since  the  range  of  activities  and  conditions  cov- 
ered in  making  a  social  survey  is  so  extensive  the 
greatest  efficiency  cannot  be  obtained  unless  the 
entire  field  is  mapped  out,  and  the  correlation  of 
the  different  phases  noted,  by  means  of  a  compre- 
hensive schedule.  Even  though  only  a  partial  sur- 
vey of  a  community  is  made,  it  should  at  least 
cover  all  phases  of  the  activity  ivhich  is  being 
investigated  and  the  details  should  be  properly 
grouped  and  made  to  fit  into  the  general  scheme 
of  a  comprehensive  survey. 

In  the  classification  proposed  below  we  have 
attempted  to  include  all  of  the  conditions  and  ac- 
tivities which  should  be  considered  in  making  a 
complete  survey.  Many  valuable  suggestions  have 
been  received  from  the  various  questionnaires  and 
schedules  referred  to  although  none  of  them  in- 
clude all  of  the  phases  of  community  life.  These 
various  phases  are  here  put  into  eight  general 
divisions  under  which  the  material  gathered  in  a 
comprehensive  survey  may  be  subdivided  and  ar- 
ranged with  a  minimum  of  confusion.  This  is  a 
very  important  matter  especially  if  only  a  partial 
survey  is  to  be  made  at  any  time,  with  a  more 
comprehensive  study  to  be  made  later.  This 
schedule  has  been  found  to  be  very  workable  in 
making  a  large  number  of  social  surveys  in  both 
urban  and  rural  communities  during  the  past 
decade.  The  field  is  divided  in  a  way  that  will 
cause  a  minimum  of  over-lapping  when  a  large 
number  of  people  are  helping  with  the  survey. 


THE  SURVEY  PLAN  9 

GENERAL  OUTLINE  FOR  A  COMPREHEN- 
SIVE SOCIAL  SURVEY. 

B.  Natural  Physical  Conditions. 
A.    Introduction. 

C.  Population : 

I.  Density  and  Distribution  of  Population. 

II.  Nationality. 

III.  Domestic  Life. 

IV.  Vital  Statistics. 

D.  Social  Conditions  and  Activities,  Relating  to 
the  Health,  Convenience  and  Comfort  of  the 
Community : 

I.  Housing. 

II.  Public  Utilities. 

III.  Diseases  and  Health  Measures. 

E.  Wealth  and  Industry : 

I.  Distribution  of  Wealth. 

II.  Industrial  Activities: 

a.  Study  of  Individual  Industries. 

III.  Transportation  and  Storage. 

F.  Group  Relationship : 

I.  Political: 

a.  General  Situation. 

b.  Organization. 

c.  Taxes. 

d.  Legislative  Restrictions  and  Regu- 
lations. 

e.  Courts. 

II.  Ameliorative,  Reformatory  and  Puni- 

tive: 

a.  Child  Care. 

b.  Charities. 

c.  Outdoor  relief, 
c.  Outdoor  Relief. 
r.  Homeless  Men. 

f.  Other  Agencies. 

g.  Juvenile  Delinquents. 


10  TECHNIQUE  OF   SOCIAL  SURVEYS 

h.  Adult  Crime. 
III.  Recreation  and  Amusements: 

a.  General  Situation. 

b.  Playgrounds. 

c.  Athletics. 

d.  Dance  Halls  and  Theatres. 

e.  Clubs. 

f.  Saloons. 

g.  Holidays, 
h.  Summary. 

G.    Education : 

I.  Public  Schools : 

a.  Scope. 

b.  Administration. 

c.  Efficiency. 

II.  Private  Schools. 

III.  Libraries. 

IV.  Music  and  Art. 

V.  The  Press. 

VI.  Higher  Education. 
H.     Religious  Activities. 

I.     Summary  and  Conclusions. 


THE  SURVEY  MACHINERY 


There  are  so  many  conditioning  elements  which 
enter  into  and  modify  a  social  survey,  that  no 
hard  and  fast  rule  can  be  laid  down  as  to  the  only 
method  of  conducting  it.  However,  some  general 
principles  may  be  suggested  which  can  be  devel- 
oped according  to  the  local  situation. 

It  has  been  found  to  be  generally  true,  that  the  ' 
surveys  which  have  been  the  result  of  a  demand 
from  within  the  community  have  been  the  most  j 
effective  in  their  influence  upon  the  life  of  the  ' 
community.  A  considerable  number  of  the  lead- 
ing men  and  women  of  a  community  taking  active 
part  in  the  scientific  investigation  of  their  living 
conditions,  will  do  more  to  create  a  social  con- 
sciousness and  an  interest  in  community  better- 
ment, than  any  other  single  activity  could  possi- 
bly accomplish.  Consequently  the  first  things  of 
importance  to  be  done  by  those  interested  in  hav- 
ing a  survey  made  is  to  secure  the  co-operation  of 
some  of  the  leading  members  of  the  community 
to  be  surveyed,  who  are  willing  to  stand  back  of 
the  survey  to  the  end. 

Very  often  some  specific  organization  is  willing 
to  back  the  survey  and  will  assume  responsibility 
for  the  necessary  financial  support.  This  matter 
is  a  very  important  feature,  and  no  survey  should 
be  attempted  until  there  is  definite  assurance  that 
the  cost  connected  therewith  has  been  provided 
for.  If  the  survey  cannot  be  finished,  or  when 
finished  cannot  be  published- many  of  its  benefits 
will  be  lost. 


12  TECHNIQUE  OF   SOCIAL  SURVEYS 

Cost  of  Survey. 

The  cost  of  making  a  survey  will  vary  greatly. 
Some  of  the  social  surveys  made  in  large  cities 
have  cost  thousands  of  dollars,  while  some  sur- 
veys, where  most  of  the  work  has  been  volun- 
teered, have  cost  very  little.  A  survey  of  Fargo, 
North  Dakota,  a  city  of  about  twenty-five  thou- 
sand population,  cost  the  organization  backing  it 
less  than  one  hundred  dollars.  In  that  city,  how- 
ever, all  of  the  work  was  volunteered  by  a  local 
college.  Where  state  universities  carry  on  the 
work  of  the  survey,  and  are  aided  by  local  volun- 
teers and  representatives  of  various  state  depart- 
ments, the  expenses  are  likewise  comparatively 
small.  They  consist  chiefly  of  such  overhead  costs 
as  printing  of  blanks,  material  for  preparing  ex- 
hibit, printing  of  final  report  and  similar  ex- 
penses. If  a  private  organization  directs  the  sur- 
vey, the  cost  thereof  will  depend  upon  the  services 
rendered. 

When  it  is  evident  that  a  survey  will  be  prop- 
erly financed  and  supported  by  interested  parties, 
the  first  thing  to  be  done  is  to  secure  some  person 
of  broad  experience  in  social  survey  work  to  spend 
a  week  or  ten  days  in  the  community  making  a 
quick  diagnosis  of  the  local  conditions.  At  the 
end  of  that  time,  the  expert  will  make  a  report 
outlining  a  plan  including  the  phases  of  commu- 
nity life  which  require  special  emphasis,  and  in 
perfecting  the  organization  and  machinery  for 
carrying  on  the  work. 

There  are  several  state  universities  as  well  as 
some  independent  organizations  which  have  a 
staff  of  experts,  whom  they  will  send  to  make 
such  a  diagnosis  of  any  community  desiring  it, — 
among  them,  being  Wisconsin,  Kansas,  Southern 
California,  Chicago,  Iowa,  Minnesota,  The  Russell 
Sage  Foundation  and  several  others. 


THE  SURVEY  MACHINERY  13 

Selection  of  Method. 

When  the  diagnosis  of  the  community  has  been 
made  by  a  social  survey  expert,  the  next  step  will 
of  course  largely  depend  upon  the  recommenda- 
tions made  by  the  preliminary  survey. 

Two  general  methods  may  be  adopted  in  carry- 
ing on  the  work. 

A.  After  the  preliminary  investigation  by  a 
first  class  man  has  been  completed,  an  expert  in 
each  line  may  be  commissioned  to  make  a  more 
detailed   diagnosis  and  supervise  the  investiga- 
tion of  his  particular  field.    Where  the  State  Uni- 
versity carries  on  such  work,  these  experts  may 
be  secured  without  very  much  additional  expense. 
However,  the  fact  should  always  be  kept  in  mind, 
that  one  feature  of  the  greatest  importance  in 
making  a  social  survey,  is  to  interest  as  many 
people  as  possible, — hence,  a  large  number  of  com- 
mittees should  be  organized,  composed  of  persons 
from  every  station  of  life  and  representing  every 
organization.      These    committees    should    work 
with  the  various  experts  in  charge.    This  will  not 
only  create  a  more  widespread  interest,  but  will 
also  be  the  means  of  training  future  community 
leaders.    There  are  some  social  surveyors  who  are 
inclined    to    discourage    much    volunteer    work, 
claiming  it  is  too  inefficient,  but  the  ultimate  value 
of  the  survey  will  depend  much  more  on  the  de- 
velopment of  local  interest,  and  social  conscious- 
ness, than  on  the  efficiency  with  which  the  sur- 
vey was  made.    If  the  expert  in  charge  is  careful 
in  taking  into  consideration  the  personal  charac- 
teristics and  qualifications  of  the  volunteer  work- 
ers, he  can  readily  place  each  one  where  the  most 
effective  work  can  be  done. 

B.  After  the  preliminary  survey  has  been  made, 
instead  of  securing  experts  to  make  investigations 


14  TECHNIQUE   OF   SOCIAL  SURVEYS 

along  their  special  lines,  have  one  trained  inves- 
tigator take  charge  of  all  the  work.  With  the  aid 
of  some  paid  assistants,  and  the  co-operation  of 
leaders  from  all  the  various  organizations  in  the 
community.  In  this  way  a  very  successful  social 
survey  can  be  made,  and  if  the  proper  kind  of  a 
"follow  up"  campaign  is  adopted,  practically 
every  reasonable  recommendation  of  the  survey 
will  be  adopted. 

Publicity  is  a  feature  of  a  social  survey  which 
should  not  be  overlooked.  First  of  all,  sufficient 
funds  should  be  reserved  to  get  the  findings  and 
recommendations  before  the  public.  Of  course, 
newspapers  should  be  enlisted  in  the  movement, 
but  never-ending  discretion  must  be  used  in  pub- 
lishing preliminary  reports.  An  untimely  or  un- 
wise report  may  do  harm  which  will  more  than 
counterbalance  the  benefits  of  the  survey. 

Every  household  in  the  community  should  be 
reached  with  the  chief  elements  of  the  findings 
and  the  recommendations  in  a  simple  but  very 
graphic  manner.  While  a  strong  committee  to 
make  known  and  to  create  enthusiasm  in  the  in- 
vestigation and  suggested  measures,  by  means  of 
newspapers,  public  meetings  and  exhibits,  is  in- 
dispensable if  the  highest  success  is  to  be  reached. 
However,  no  public  reports  should  be  made,  ex- 
cept for  a  definite  purpose,  until  all  facts  are  ob- 
tained and  carefully  checked  for  possible  errors. 
The  details  of  publicity  work  will  be  discussed  in 
connection  with  the  specific  problems  of  each  of 
the  subdivisions  of  the  survey. 


THE  SURVEY  MACHINERY  15 

Working  Committees. 

The  various  committees  to  have  charge  of  the 
work  should  include  the  following : 

I.  The  Executive  Committee,  which  will  have 
general  charge  of  the  work  of  the  survey  and 
which  should  have  charge  of  the  matter  of  financ- 
ing the  project. 

II.  Committees  of  Investigation. 

1.  Committee  on  Population,  covering  the  prob- 
lems of : 

a.  Density  and  distribution  of  population. 

b.  Nationality. 

c.  Domestic  Life. 

d.  Vital  Statistics. 

2.  Public   Welfare   Committee  having  for  its 
field  of  action  a  study  of  the  social  condition  and 
activities,  relating  to  the  health,  convenience  and 
comfort  of  the  community,  and  investigating  spe- 
cifically the  problems  of : 

a.  Housing. 

b.  Public  Utilities. 

c.  Diseases  and  Health  Measures. 

3.  Civic    and   Industrial   Committee,     dealing 
with  the  situation  regarding  the  distribution  of 
wealth,  industrial  situation,  transportation  and 
storage  and  the  political  conditions  and  activities 
as  outlined  under  division  F,  group  I. 

4.  Remedial  and  Corrective  Agencies  Commit- 
tee, which  should  deal  with  the  problems  of: 

a.  Child  care. 

b.  Charities. 

c.  Outdoor  Relief. 

d.  Homeless  men. 

e.  Defectives. 

f .  Other  agencies. 

g.  Juvenile  Delinquents, 
h.  Adult  crime. 


16  TECHNIQUE  OF   SOCIAL  SURVEYS 

5.  Committee  on  Constructive  Agencies.    This 
committee  should  investigate  the  situation  with 
regard  to : 

a.  Recreation  and  Amusements. 

b.  Educational  Activities. 

c.  Religious  Activities. 

6.  Publicity  Committee,  whose  duty  it  should 
be  to  make  the  results  of  the  various  investiga- 
tions known,  by  means    of    newspaper    reports, 
pamphlets,  and  charts,  and  most  important  of  all, 
community  exhibits. 

Several  of  these  committees  may  be  subdivided, 
as  for  example,  committee  number  five,  on  con- 
structive agencies.  In  the  case  of  this  committee 
it  is  often  well  to  have  three  sub-committees. 
However,  they  should  work  under  one  general 
committee  chairman,  because  of  the  inter-relation 
of  the  activities  concerned. 


GENERAL  SOURCES  OF  INFORMATION 


There  is  much  information  required  in  making 
a  social  survey  which  cannot  be  obtained  from  any 
official  sources,  but  which  must  be  secured  by 
means  of  investigations  of  actual  conditions.  Be- 
fore any  such  investigations  are  undertaken,  how- 
ever, it  is  well  to  have  consulted  all  persons  who 
regularly  come  in  contact  with  those  conditions 
such  as  officials  of  various  kinds,  teachers,  min- 
isters, business  men,  professional  men  and  social 
workers.  The  work  will  be  greatly  lessened  if 
this  is  done  before  starting  the  survey,  and  it  will 
also  help  to  interest  a  large  circle  of  persons  who 
are  informed  on  the  questions  to  be  investigated, 
and  who  may  be  able  to  point  out  means  of  secur- 
ing the  desired  data  without  extra  work  or  delay. 

The  problem  of  collecting  and  properly  inter- 
preting statistical  data  is  of  the  utmost  impor- 
tance and  can  hardly  be  over-emphasized,  since 
carelessly  selected  or  inaccurate  data  may  defeat 
the  entire  work  of  the  survey.  //  volunteer  or 
inexperienced  workers  are  used,  never  ceasing 
care  must  be  observed  or  fatal  errors  will  slip  in. 
Four  rules  suggested  by  Quetelet,  for  obtaining 
statistical  data,  sum  up  briefly  the  chief  sources 
of  errors : — 

1.  Never  have  preconceived  ideas  as  to  what 
the  figures  are  to  prove. 

2.  Never  reject  a  number  that  seems  contrary 
to  what  you  might  expect,  merely  because  it 
departs  a  good  deal  from  the  apparent  aver- 
age. 

3.  Be  careful  to  weigh  and  record  all  possible 
causes  of  an  event,  and  do  not  attribute  to 
one  what  is  really  the  result  of  a  combination 


18  TECHNIQUE  OF   SOCIAL  SURVEYS 

of  several. 
4.  Never  compare  data  which  have  nothing  in 

common. 

The  amount  of  labor  connected  with  the  making 
of  a  survey  will  be  determined  largely  by  the 
ingenuity  and  tact  of  the  workers  and  their  abil- 
ity to  locate  the  most  reliable  sources  of  informa- 
tion. Conditions  vary  so  much,  that  great 
skill  is  required  to  decide  what  data  is  reliable 
and  accurate.  There  are  some  general  sources  of 
information,  however,  which  can  usually  be  ob- 
tained, and  which  is  often  of  great  value  especial- 
ly for  comparative  purposes, 
a.  Official  Statistics: 

1.  The  census  reports  of  the  State  and  the 
Federal  Government  which  alternate  every 
five  years. 

2. /The  report  of  the  State,  County  Officials 
and  Local  Health  Department  should  fur- 
nish the  necessary  information  needed 
concerning  birth,  marriage,  divorces, 
deaths,  contagious  diseases,  etc., — but  fre- 
quently these  records  are  not  well  kept, — 
and  even  where  apparently  well  kept, 
should  be  carefully  checked  for  possible 
error. 

3.  Statistics  regarding  crime  may  be  secured 
from  court  records,  prison  and  jail  re- 
ports and  records,  and  the  various  boards 
and    organizations    dealing    with    delin- 
quents.   Since  much  of  the  data  thus  ob- 
tained may  have  been  collected  for  a  dif- 
ferent purpose  than  the  one  connected  with 
the  investigation  at  hand,  the  chief  value 
may  lie  in  making  comparative  studies. 

4.  The  Federal   Census,  United  States  De- 
partment of  Labor,  the  State  Boards  and 
Commissions,  as  well  as  employment  bu- 


SOURCES   OF  INFORMATION  19 

reaus,  boards  of  trade  and  labor  and  trade 
federations  will  be  able  to  give  much  valu- 
able data  regarding  the  industrial  situa- 
tion. 

5.  Statistics  regarding  education,  recreation, 
religious  bodies  and  ameliorative  work 
may  be  secured  from  local,  state  and  na- 
tional organizations,  wliose  work  deals 
with  these  various  subjects.  As  much 
of  this  data  as  possible  should  be  obtained 
in  order  (1)  to  save  time  and  energy  of 
securing  it  yourself,  (2)  to  compare  lo- 
cal situation  with  those  of  other  communi- 
ties or  with  the  general  situation,  and  (3) 
to  use  as  a  basis  for  making  the  local  in- 
vestigation. 

b.  Unofficial  data  and  Statistics : 

1.  Reports  .and  records  of  private  ameliora- 
tive and  philanthropic  organizations. 

2.  Reports  and  interviews  with  officials,  and 
study  of  the  pay  roll  of  industrial  estab- 
listments. 

3.  Reports  of  unions  and  interviews  with  la- 
bor leaders. 

4.  Public    reports,    and    private    interviews 
with  officials  and  employees  of  all  busi- 
ness organizations  with  whose  activities 
the  survey  deals. 

5.  The  Federal  and  State  statutes  and  gen- 
eral laws,  city  charters,  city  ordinances, 
the  housing  laws,  health  laws  and  similar 
specific  regulations  should  all  be  very  care- 
fully noted. 

6.  The  exact  wording  of  the  law  should  be 
obtained  in  every  case. 

While  much  of  the  material  from  the  sources 
mentioned  may  be  obtained  by  volunteers, — no 


20  TECHNIQUE   OF   SOCIAL  SURVEYS 

person  should  be  sent  to  secure  data,  without  hav- 
ing been  carefully  instructed  concerning  what  is 
wanted.  If  this  is  not  done,  much  of  the  work 
will  have  to  be  done  over  again.  Likewise,  care- 
ful selection  should  be  made  of  the  type  of  worker 
for  each  particular  phase  of  the  survey. 


COMPILING  THE  DATA. 


Had  all  the  surveys  started  been  completed, 
there  would  be  a  most  valuable  fund  of  scientific 
data  available.  Too  often,  however,  surveys  have 
been  started  with  the  greatest  enthusiasm,  but 
have  either  never  been  completed,  or  in  some 
cases  where  all  the  desired  data  was  collected  it 
was  in  such  a  mixed-up  condition  that  it  was  an 
almost  impossible  task  to  do  anything  with  the 
material  gathered.  The  difficulty  connected  with 
the  compiling  and  the  analysis  of  data  in  a  general 
social  survey  has  discouraged  many  people,  and 
consequently  many  of  the  so-called  social  surveys, 
are  limited  to  the  investigation  of  some  specific 
problem — without  sufficient  consideration  of  the 
many  related  problems. 

One  of  the  first  things  to  be  considered  in  mak- 
ing a  social  survey  is  to  classify  the  various  con- 
ditions and  activities  which  are  found  in  any 
community.  The  classification  which  has  been 
found  most  workable  and  which  involves  a  mini- 
mum of  overlapping  by  groups  working  on  differ- 
ent phases  of  the  survey,  has  been  given  under  the 
heading,  "The  Survey  Plan." 

The  outline  for  a  general  survey,  is  subdivided 
into  a  number  of  subdivisions  under  each  general 
heading,  while  these  subheads  are  again  divided. 
Under  each  of  the  minor  headings  are  a  number 
of  general  and  specific  questions.  These  questions 
will  usually  include  all  the  data  required  on  each 
point,  but  where  they  are  of  a  more  general  na- 
ture, they  will  suggest  additional  questions  which 
may  vary  slightly  in  different  communities. 

Each  general  heading,  sub-head  group  heading 
and  question  has  an  alphabetical  or  numerical 


22  TECHNIQUE   OF   SOCIAL  SURVEYS 

designation.  Hence,  each  specific  item  or  fact, 
has  a  definite  place  in  the  scheme  of  classification. 
For  example:  The  information  concerning  the 
admission  of  children  to  institutions,  would  be 
the  answer  to  part  three  (c')  of  question  (4), 
under  group  head  Child  Care  (a),  of  sub-heading 
(II)  ameliorative  activities,  under  division  head 
(F)  Group  Relationship.  In  short,  the  question 
and  answer:  "Conditions  for  admission  of  chil- 
dren to  each  institution  is  catalogued  as  F.  II 
a  4  c'." 

Information  concerning  one  item  only,  should 
be  placed  on  each  card  for  filing.  If  this  is  not 
done,  confusion  will  result.  Cards  5x8  inches 
are  the  most  suitable  size.  On  the  top  of  the  card 
should  be  written  in  full  the  specific  question.  In 
the  upper  left  hand  corner,  the  index  number  of 
the  question  in  full.  Then  on  the  margin  may  be 
inserted  references  and  sources  from  which  the 
information  on  the  card  was  received.  It  is  some- 
times convenient  to  have  the  cards  on  which  the 
data  is  filed,  lined  as  follows: 


Index  number 


Question  in  full. 


Source  of 
Information  | 


Data  obtained. 


Attending  to  such  details  as  carefully  number- 
ing each  question,  stating  question  in  full,  giving 
sources  of  information,  and  having  data  of  one 
question  only,  on  each  card,  with  initials  of  per- 
son who  prepared  card,  will  be  the  means  of 
avoiding  much  trouble  later. 

A  very  large  part  of  the  data  and  information 


COMPILING  THE  DATA  23 

required  will  be  obtained  from  the  sources  men- 
tioned under  another  heading.  There  will  be  some 
material,  however,  which  will  necessitate  a  house 
to  house  canvass. 

The  information  which  cannot  be  secured  from 
jther  sources  may  be  included  in  the  cards  used 
for  this  purpose. — The  data  obtained  in  the  house 
to  house  canvass,  and  recorded  on  cards  may  be 
readily  tabulated,  and  the  results  transferred  to 
the  indexed  cards  and  filed  in  their  respective 
places. 

By  carefully  following  the  outline  of  community 
activities  and  conditions,  and  dividing  the  work 
among  various  committees,  who  in  turn  divide 
the  various  phases  among  their  respective  mem- 
bers, it  is  possible  to  include  a  very  large  number 
of  people  in  the  making  of  a  survey.  The  more 
people  who  are  given  something  definite  to  do 
in  a  survey,  the  greater  will  be  the  influence  of 
the  undertaking.  However,  unless  the  greatest 
care  is  taken  in  regard  to  the  details  just  dis- 
cussed, the  results  will  not  be  satisfactory,  while 
if  care  is  used  in  assigning  work  and  in  having  the 
data  properly  recorded  and  filed,  the  problem  of 
compiling  is  practically  solved. 

The  form  of  schedule  card  used  in  the  house  to 
house  investigations  will  depend  upon  the  infor- 
mation desired,  and  upon  the  type  of  survey  made. 
Below  are  given  several  cards  which  were  suc- 
cessfully used  for  different  surveys. 

The  data  from  the  cards  may  be  transferred  to 
maps.  In  the  case  of  small  cities  and  towns,  sum- 
marizing the  material  by  blocks,  and  in  the  larger 
communities  transferring  the  data  of  each  lot  to 
the  map,  but  the  cards  should  be  kept  in  order 
to  check  up  mistakes. 


24 


1 


TECHNIQUE 

.U  if  I 

B'  ':  3      1 

fii  s- 

:IJ*      | 

OF  S0( 

jlj 

2IAL 

SURVEYS 

^ 

'o 
H 

1 

ffl 
TJ 

.Children  (under  14)... 

c 

w 

6 

c 

0> 

0 

'Husband  

1 

..;  Church  Preference.. 

Number  Magazines  

ograph  Others  
»s  .Dominos  Numl 
.  .  Football  Baseball  

f  Not,  Amount  Rent  per  Month 

.  Bed  Rooms  

.Cellar  Bath  and.  Inside 
.  .  .  Steam  or  Hot  Water.  ...  

§ 

3 

.Others  

c 

• 

: 

c 

tc 

c 

: 

£  v 

• 

Ward  . 

Students;  Me 

o 

ffi 

Husband  

1 

Others  . 

c     •   £        ~ 
«i    :  a       £ 
|    :  S       £ 

.Rooms  

.Cistern  
s  Gas 

.  .Cows  

...Rabbits.. 

o  » 

3 

Q^ 

:  £  c 

H                  >> 

rrt 

o 

<i 

*o 

od 

CJ 

•  P 

c 

•£ 

*. 

5J 

g 

'O 

c 

3 

•     cd 

:       "S 

fc 

01 

02 

: 

3 

'D 

0 

• 

o      •  :       -f    • 

5       be      o    : 

1 

c 

• 

^ 

|M 

.2 

<1> 

Q 

"i 

;   •      *      1        ;'.$*::••: 

r^. 

•d 

5; 

^ 

C 

c 

t/J 

rg 

ea 

t; 

'" 

-     I 

•  • 

0) 

• 

o 

Number.  .  . 

Number. 

cu 
cd 

a 

! 

Papers;  D 

ill    1 

*J       irj       '^                   0) 

W      i.      H.             "C 
C       OJ"    r"^               ."?7 

..     ~    O    *           <u 

Stories'.  .  .  . 

0 

•    b 

2  ° 

Chickens. 

cj 
U 

OJ 
XJ 

c 

to 

w 

g 

— 

C  -     . 

u           Ci 

j_ 

»       be 

u 

3 

• 

Family 

Roomei 

0! 

cd 
X 

Memifc 

A 

o 

c 

N  um  be 

fi  2  2  : 

•2      CO       C      • 

a  g'Jj 

g     a>     i, 
—    -^     rr 

5  o  « 

Numbe 

P-    c 
>>    cd 

*J      0) 

b  a 

£ 

ID 

a! 

; 


COMPILING  THE  DATA 


25 


j 

g: 

i 

1 

1 

« 

M 

1 

i 

; 
: 

y; 

1 

i 

| 

1 

5 

I 

s 

X 

\ 

1 

| 

I 

I 

2 

i 

I 

I 

i 

a 

| 
1 
1 
| 

j 

! 

i 
1 

i 

i 

1 

i 

j 

u 

i 

1 

5 

a 

1 

j 

I 

3 

i 

i 

j 

| 

1 

j 

• 

0 

i 

< 

s 

[ 

j 

. 

j 

I 

\ 

i 

1 

i 
i 

j 

5 

j 

\ 

5 

I 

1 

i 

j 

i 

0 

( 

| 

| 

0 

j 

1 

I 

6 

i 

c 

9 

i 
1 

i 

5 
j 

j 

I 

L 

J 

. 

0 

I 

I 

3 

I 

I 

1 

i 

a 

I 

t 

1 

| 

i 
5 

| 

I 

1 

"? 

8 

j 

J 

I 
1 

j 

\ 

1 

J 

1 

h 

j 

X 

i 

1 

t 

c 

i  "i 

4) 

\ 

0 

s 

I 

!    1 

I 

0 

j 

i 
i 

j 

j 

i 

1       i 

TECHNIQUE  OF  SOCIAL  SURVEYS 


I  <  !  I  j 

*    i  5 


<' 


s 


i 


/>c 


v,^  iS 


V 


t 


X 


M 


*t 

^  ^ 


X 


Part  II 

Securing  the  Data 

for 
the  Community  Surve 


THE  COMMUNITY  SURVEY 


A.     Introduction. 

As  a  foundation  for  any  social  investigation  one 
must  have  some  general  idea  of  the  City  or  Com- 
munity as  a  whole.  Its  character,  whether  indus- 
trial, composite  or  residential,  will  be  a  very  im- 
portant fact  in  determining  the  method  of  pro- 
cedure. Each  community  has  a  distinct  individu- 
ality which  is  the  result  of  its  history,  its  early 
inhabitants,  the  causes  and  method  of  growth  and 
is  influenced  by  the  predominating  nationality, 
and  by  the  traditions  and  customs  which  the  vari- 
ous factors  have  developed  in  the  community.  The 
prevailing  attitude  toward  civic  improvements, 
special  interest  in  some  particular  subject  and 
the  attitude  and  composition  of  the  local  official 
bodies  must  all  be  considered,  as  well  as  of  private 
organizations  and  individuals  who  may  either 
help  or  hinder  the  work  of  the  survey. 

1.  Is  the  community  to  be  surveyed,  a  chartered  city, 
a  ward,  a  village,  or  a  town.    If  none  of  these,  what  kind 
of  a  unit?     (Often  when  some  special  problem  is  studied 
it  can  be  more  advantageously  done  by  taking  a  limited 
district  than  by  taking  the  community  as  a  whole.) 

2.  What  is   the  general  character  of  the  community, 
residential,  commercial,  manufacturing,  industrial,  or  com- 
posite?    The  character  of  the  survey  and  the  placing  of 
the  greatest  emphasis  will  be  largely  determined  by  the 
answer  to  the  above  question. 

3.  What  were   the   important  causes  that  led   to  the 
founding  and  subsequent  growth  of  the  community? 

Very  often  specific  problems  may  be  traced  back 
to  the  early  history  of  the  community.  The  data 
required  may  be  obtained  from  early  official  rec- 
ords, newspaper  files,  private  letters,  and  inter- 
views with  old  residents. 

4.  Give  nationality  and  chief  characteristic  of  the  peo- 


30  TECHNIQUE  OF   SOCIAL  SURVEYS 

pie  who  made  up  the  early  community.  Sometimes  traces 
of  the  ideals  and  customs  of  the  first  settlers  may  be 
traced  in  the  growth  of  local  institutions  for  many  genera- 
tions following. 

5.  Trace  the  industrial  development  of  the  early  com- 
munity.    Has   its   growth  been   steady   or  intermittent  ? 
Has  there  been  recent  marked  changes? — See  census  re- 
ports, official  records,  and  newspaper  files. 

6.  a/  Is   the   industrial,  political  and   social   situation 

controlled  by  the  descendants  of  the  first  settlers 

or  by  the  more  recent  arrivals  ? 
b.'  Influential  individuals  of  past. 
c.'  Significant  events  of  the  past. 

The  data  obtained  under  this  heading  may  often 
be  used  very  effectively  in  creating  interest  in 
the  results  of  the  survey,  by  connecting  the  pres- 
ent with  the  past  history  of  community.  A 
Pageant  is  one  of  the  most  effective  ways  of  pre- 
senting the  matter,  and  may  be  given  at  the  time 
of  the  Community  Exhibit. 

7.  What  local  social  problem  is  of  especial  interest  to 
the  community  before  the  beginning  of  the  survey  ? 

This  may  be  arrived  at  by  interviews  with  lead- 
ing citizens,  newspaper  files,  and  acquaintance 
with  individuals  from  social  groups. 

8.  a.'  Can  you  depend  upon  co-operation  of  public  offi- 

cials in  making  the  survey  ? 

b.'  Can  you  depend  upon  the  support  of  the  press? 
These  two  agencies  are  very  important  if  the 
greatest  success  is  desired.  The  officials  may  do 
much  to  lessen  the  work  of  investigators  and  un- 
less the  newspapers  take  up  the  issues  brought 
out  by  the  survey,  much  of  its  value  will  be  lost. 

9.  Is  there  in  the  community,  any  groups  of  men  or 
women  who  are  willing  to  bear  the  responsibility  and  ca- 
pable of  taking  up  the  work  of  the  survey  in  a  devoted  and 
intelligent  manner? 

The  above  questions  are  of  the  utmost  impor- 
tance, and  should  be  carefully  considered  before 
making  any  attempt  to  outline  the  work  of  the 
survey.  If  the  line  of  work  suggested  above  is 
carefully  done,  there  will  be  fewer  mistakes  made 


SECURING  THE  DATA  31 

in  the  outline  of  the  work  to  follow.  The  required 
information  may  be  obtained  largely  by  going 
over  newspaper  files,  talking  with  well-informed 
citizens,  business  men,  old  residents,  labor  leaders, 
ministers,  priests,  teachers  and  others,  and  by  re- 
ferring to  the  various  city  and  census  reports  (1) . 
(1.)  See  "What  Social  Workers  Should  Know  About 
Their  Own  Communities,"  by  Miss  Byington.  p.  7-8. 
"Knowing  One's  Own  Community,"  Aronovici.  p.  9. 


B.     Natural  Physical  Conditions  (Geographical). 


The  geographical  conditions  of  a  community  are 
generally  recognized  in  making  a  survey  of  a  com- 
munity as  being  of  great  importance,  and  one  of 
the  very  first  factors  to  be  considered.  For,  while 
the  geographical  conditions  are  fixed,  and  are  very 
little  changed  by  the  activities  of  men,  except  in 
such  matters  as  deforestation,  drainage  and  the 
irrigation  of  arid  regions,  the  activities  of  a  com- 
munity, its  industrial  character,  its  inhabitants, 
its  growth  and  life  depend  largely  upon  its  geo- 
graphical location,  its  climate,  natural  resources 
and  character  of  surrounding  country.  (2) . 

1.  Give  the  location  of  the  community  to  be  surveyed. 
a.'  Its  area,  b.'  Topography,  c.'  Source  of  water  sup- 
ply, d.'  Natural  drainage,  and  e.'  Natural  scenic  ad- 
vantages. 

2.  a.'  What  are  the  economic  resources  of  the  vicinity  ? 
Its  soil  and  products,  waterpower,  mines,  quarries, 
forests,  fisheries? 

b.'  Are  the  natural  resources  of  a  permanent  na- 
ture? 
c.'  Are  important  natural  resources  monopolized? 

3.  Is  the  community  near  any  large  waterfront,  on  any 
natural  highway,  or  is  communication  with  the  rest 
of  the  world  obstructed  by  mountains  or  other  bar- 
riers ? 

4.  Are  there  other  geographic  or  climatic  conditions  in 
your  community  which  seem  to  be  important  factors 
in  the  social  situation?     What  gives  them  their  im- 
portance?    (3). 

(2.)  See  E.  C.  Hayes,  "Effects  of  Geographic  Conditions 
upon  Social  Realities,"  Am.  Jour.  Soc.  May,  1914; 
Semple  and  Huntington,  Pulse  of  Asia. 

(3.)     Knowing  One's  Own  Community,  Aronovici,  P.  11. 
Report  of  the  Cities  Committee,  Soc.  Society  (Lon- 
don, Eng.),  on  Town-Planning,  1909. 
In  addition  to  the  sources  suggested  above  for 

obtaining   information    concerning   the   locality, 

these  questions  may  be  answered  by  referring  to 


NATURAL  PHYSICAL  CONDITIONS  33 

the  United  States  Geodetic  Survey  Department, 
Soil  Surveys,  Agriculture  Department  reports, 
Census  reports,  other  publications  of  the  state 
and  federal  departments,  and  by  consulting  local 
engineers. 

This  information  is  very  essential,  both  in  order 
that  the  investigation  will  give  due  weight  to  con- 
ditions prevalent  in  the  community  being  sur- 
veyed, and  in  order  that  the  future  policy  of  the 
community  may  be  made  with  proper  considera- 
tion for  the  permanent  as  well  as  changing  nat- 
ural physical  conditions. 


C.      POPULATION 


The  population  of  a  community  is  to  a  very 
great  extent  dependent  upon  the  geographical  con- 
ditions in  which  it  lives.  The  development  of 
some  of  the  natural  resources,  as  coal,  iron,  oil  or 
the  improving  of  waste  lands  by  drainage  and 
irrigation,  as  well  as  advantageous  commercial  lo- 
cations, and  the  development  of  transportation 
facilities,  are  all  very  important  in  determining 
the  location  of  large  groups  of  people.  Newly  ar- 
rived immigrants  are  often  induced  to  settle  in 
congested  areas,  because  of  the  opportunities  of- 
fered for  gaining  a  livelihood — and  conditions 
arise,  which  not  only  retard, — but  often  seem  to 
check  all  efforts  for  social  improvement.  The  so- 
cial machinery  becomes  clogged  by  the  increase  in 
population,  and  before  a  readjustment  can  be 
made,  new  problems  have  arisen,  which  are  pe- 
culiar to  that  locality  and  generation. 

I.  Distribution  and  Density  of  Population : 

1.  a.'  What  is  the  total  population  of  the  community? 
b.'  Average  number  per  acre? 

c/  Are  there  especially  congested  areas  ?  Where  lo- 
cated? What  is  the  apparent  reason  for  their 
existence  and  location?  Average  number  per 
acre  in  each  distinct  area? 

The  density  of  each  block  may  be  obtained  in 
connection  with  other  data  in  making  the  house 
to  house  canvass,  which  will  be  necessary  to  ob- 
tain much  of  the  desired  data,  regarding  family 
life  and  sanitary  conditions  surrounding  the 
homes.  The  school  census,  state  and  federal  cen- 
sus and  other  official  lists  will  be  of  much  aid  in 
checking  the  results  for  possible  errors. 

2.  What  per  cent  of  the  population  of  the  community 
have  come  from  other  localities  within  less  than  five 
years  ? 


POPULATION  35 

3.  Is  population  increasing,  decreasing  or  stationary? 

4.  What  causes  tend  to  increase  or  decrease  popula- 
tion?     Immigration?      Development    of    industries 
which    attract    people    from    neighboring    qommu- 
nities?     Ratio  of  births  to  deaths? 

5.  What  number  of  families  have  moved  to  other  com- 
munities in  the  past  five  years? 

6.  What  has  been  the  rate  of  growth  of  population  for 
past  five  census  periods? 

7.  Identify  quarters  of  the  city  in  which  are  assem- 
bled people  of  a  distinct  social  character,  (social, — 
industrial,     religious,     degenerate,     commercialized 
vice,  criminal). 

8.  a.'  Do  such  quarters  in  any  case  correspond  with 

political  wards  ? 
b.'  What  are  the  causes  of  such  localization? 

9.  How  is   the   residential   distribution   of  the   people 
affected  by  street  railroads,  by  steam  railroads,  by 
location     of    industrial     plants, — topography,     land 
values,  and  rents  ? 

10.  Make  statistical  summary  of  data  obtained.  When 
the  data  concerning  the  various  phases  of  the  above 
questions  has  been  carefully  summarized,  charts 
and  maps  should  be  made  graphically  portraying  the 
results  obtained. 

It  is  often  advisable  in  making  a  survey  of  a 
large  community  to  divide  it  according  to  special 
population  groups,  since  at  times  there  are  specific 
problems  peculiar  to  individual  communities.  The 
divisions  may  mark  off  distinct  social  groups,  com- 
munities contingent  to  some  church,  a  school,  spe- 
cific industrial  groups,  or  communities  where  the 
economic  status  of  the  people  is  so  decidedly  dif- 
ferent, that  the  social  problems  of  the  different 
communities  require  to  be  studied  from  separate 
viewpoints.  This  method  was  successfully  fol- 
lowed in  a  survey  made  at  Urbana,  Illinois  (the 
report  of  which  is  not  published).  A  section  of 
the  city,  which  had  approximately  1,000  inhabi- 
tants, was  of  distinctly  different  composition  than 
the  city  proper,  although  with  the  exception  of 
two  or  three  families,  this  group  was  of  American 
stock.  While  the  city  is  a  University  town,  and 


36  TECHNIQUE  OF   SOCIAL  SURVEYS 

the  county  seat  of  a  very  prosperious  agricultural 
community,  here  was  an  isolated  group  which  was 
almost  entirely  industrial,  240  out  of  a  total  of 
285  adult  males  being  employed  in  the  "Big  Four" 
car  shops  and  in  brick  yards.  Their  interests  and 
most  of  their  social  activities  were  largely  local- 
ized, while  there  was  a  general  feeling  that  the 
city  proper  neglected  them,  and  if  civic  improve- 
ments may  be  considered  an  index,  this  feeling 
was  not  without  foundation.  Hence  it  was  found 
that  the  best  way  to  deal  with  this  particular 
group  was  as  a  unit  apart  from  the  city  as  a  whole. 

A  similar  study  was  made  in  1919  of  Armour- 
dale,  a  city  within  a  city> — which  is  a  population 
group  of  about  12,000  people  within  the  confines 
of  Kansas  City  and  which  on  the  one  hand  is  a 
part  of  that  great  municipality, — on  the  other  is 
a  distinct  social  unit. 

II.  Nationality: 

1.  Number  of  entire  population,  by  age,  sex  and  na- 
tionality ? 

2.  What  nationalities  are  on  the  increase?     Decrease? 
Is  the  cause  local? 

3.  a.'  Approximate  number  of  immigrants  by  national- 

ity, who  arrived  during  the  last  two  years? 
b.'  Number  unmarried,  over  20  years,  by  age  and 

sex? 
c.'  Number  of  children  under  five  years? 

4.  Average  marriage  age,  by  nationality? 

5.  What  per  cent  of  the  population  have  both  parents 
of  the  same  racial  stock? 

6.  a/  What  organizations  are  there  which  help  in  the 

proper  distribution  of  immigrants  ? 
b.'  Are  they  organized  for  commercial  purposes? 
III.  Domestic  Life : 

We  are  ever  confronted  by  new  problems  which 
seem  almost  insurmountable,  because  their  very 
solution  will  bring  about  an  entirely  new  order 
of  conditions.  Modern  economic  conditions  are 
developing  new  types  of  domestic  problems. 
Labor,  formerly  done  in  the  home,  is  now  done 


POPULATION  37 

in  great  industrial  establishments,  making  it 
necessary,  where  the  husband  cannot  earn  enough 
to  support  the  family,  for  the  wife  and  often  the 
children  to  go  abroad  to  seek  work.  It  has  also 
been  found  by  the  writer  in  many  cases  where  the 
husband  is  receiving  wages  far  above  the  average, 
the  wife  would  be  working  at  the  same  factory  in 
which  she  worked  before  her  marriage.  This  was 
done  not  from  economic  necessity,  but  because  of 
her  lack  6f  training  in  household  arts,  she  pre- 
ferred to  work  away  from  home  and  make  other 
provisions  for  the  care  of  the  household. 

Where  formerly  each  family  lived  in  its  own 
house,  great  numbers  are  now  crowded  into  one 
building,  which  destroys,  or  at  least  weakens  the 
"home  spirit,"  and  on  the  other  hand  because  of 
a  constant  change  of  residence,  prevents  the 
growth  of  a  community  spirit,  which  formerly 
existed.  Instead  of  spending  the  hours  of  recrea- 
tion in  the  home,  the  young  people  are  often  from 
necessity  compelled  to  go  out  upon  the  streets  to 
spend  their  leisure  time,  and  while  the  home  used 
to  be  the  great  molder  of  character,  since  it  pro- 
vided for  all  the  spare  time  of  the  child,  it  has 
become  in  many  cases,  merely  the  place  where 
some  of  the  meals  are  eaten  and  where  the  sleep- 
ing hours  are  spent.  In  short,  the  new  conditions 
have  raised  the  age  of  marriage ;  it  has  changed 
the  industrial  character  of  the  home;  weakened 
the  home  spirit;  and  lessened  the  influence  of 
home  life  in  the  development  of  the  child. 

1.  Has  the  commercial  or  industrial  life  of  the  com- 
munity any  observable  effect  upon  domestic  life? 

2.  Is   anything   done   to   develop    interest   in   the   im- 
provement of  home  conditions  of  laboring  people  ? 

3.  a/  What  is  the  ratio  of  divorce  to  marriage  in  the 

community  ? 

b.'  Among  what  race  is  divorce  the  most  prevalent? 
c.'  Most  frequent  grounds  for  divorce? 
d/  Has  the  church  any  influence  on  the  question  of 


38  TECHNIQUE  OF   SOCIAL  SURVEYS 

divorce  in  this  community? 

4.  What  are  the  state  laws  regarding  non-support  and 
desertion  ? 

5.  Are  deserters  ever  brought  back  to  this  state  by 
extradition  ? 

6.  Number  of  men  paying  for  support  of  families  by 
order  of  the  court? 

7.  What  do  homes  in  the  community  offer  for  cultural 
improvement  and  enjoyment  (see  recreation)  ? 

8.  Lodging  and  rooming  houses  (see  Housing)  ? 

9.  Labor  of  women  and  children  (see  Industry)  ? 

10.  School  attendance  and  other  cultural  activities  (see 
Education)  ? 

11.  Religious  activities  of  home  (see  Religion)  ? 

IV.  Vital  Statistics: 

1.  a.'  What  is  the  average  marriage  rate  in  commu- 

nity? 

b.'  Average  marriage  age  of  unskilled  laborers  ? 
c.'  Average  marriage  age  of  skilled  laborers? 
d.'  Average  marriage  of  salaried  persons? 
e.'  Average  marriage  of  professional  persons  ? 
f.'  Number  of  childless  families  after  three  years  of 

married  life? — after  five  years? 

2.  Is  there  any  local  influence  which  tends  to  raise  or 
lower  the  marriage  age? 

3.  Annual  birth-rate  by  nationality  per   thousand  of 
population  ? 

4.  Annual  death  rate  per  thousand  population,  during 
the  last  five  years? 

5.  Annual  death  rate  per  thousand  children  under  one 
year  ?    Under  five  years  ? 

6.  What  is  the  annual  death  rate  per  thousand,  by  na- 
tionality, for  the  past  five  years? 

7.  Give  annual  death  rate  for  each  of  the  more  preva- 
lent, preventable  and   contagious   diseases,   as,   oc- 
cupational diseases,  industrial  accidents,  tuberculo- 
sis, typhoid,  measles,  diphtheria  ,scarlet  fever,  pneu- 
monia, and  intestinal  diseases  for  each  block,  ward 
and  for  the  city  as  a  whole.     Show  distribution  of 
deaths  from  different  disease  on  map. 

8.  Make  statistical  summary  of  all  data  under  "Popula- 
tion." 

It  is  usually  difficult  to  obtain  accurate  statis- 
tics concerning  the  population.  The  records  of 
the  board  of  health  are  often  very  incomplete, 
many  births  are  not  registered,  deaths  improperly 


POPULATION  39 

registered,  and  population  figures  between  census 
years  are  often  a  general  approximation  which 
depends  upon  someone's  point  of  view  and  may  be 
exaggerated  or  diminished  accordingly.  How- 
ever, a  careful  investigation  will  reveal  many  of 
these  shortcomings  and  may  lead  to  a  more  care- 
ful record  of  vital  statistics,  which  in  itself  would 
be  worth  the  effort. 

Very  much  of  the  data  required  in  following 
the  above  outline  will  necessitate  the  making  of 
a  house  to  house  canvass.  When  making  such  a 
canvass,  it  is  often  well  to  get  as  much  data  as 
possible,  without  making  the  work  cumbersome, 
in  order  to  check  up  data  secured  from  other 
sources.  The  information  which  can  readily  be 
secured  in  the  canvass  necessary  to  obtain  the  re- 
quired data  on  housing,  (See  D.  I.  Housing)  in- 
cludes, the  number  of  men ;  women ;  children  un- 
der 16  years ;  occupation  of  head  of  family;  length 
of  residence;  nationality;  and  the  prevalence  of 
any  contagious  or  communicable  diseases  during 
the  past  two  years.  This  last  item  may  be  very 
unreliable,  but,  it  will  often  be  of  use  in  making 
comparisons  with  the  official  statistics  on  those 
topics.  In  the  survey  of  Council  Grove,  Kansas, 
the  data  was  gathered  for  each  block.  This  data 
was  totaled  and  put  on  a  large  outline  map  to- 
gether with  the  data  regarding  sanitary  and  hous- 
ing conditions  of  each  block.  Thus  it  was  graph- 
ically shown  how  many  people  lived  in  each  block, 
the  vital  statistics  of  each  block,  together  with  the 
sanitary  conditions.  The  result  was  more  strik- 
ing and  did  more  to  create  a  desire  to  clean  up 
than  any  other  feature  of  the  exhibit  of  the  Sur- 
vey. However,  this  map  showing  sanitary  condi- 
tions and  vital  statistics  does  not  preclude  charts. 
Large  charts  should  be  made  showing  specific  con- 
ditions and  the  prevalence  of  commendable  as 


40  TECHNIQUE  OF   SOCIAL  SURVEYS 

well  as  undesirable  population  statistics. 

Each  Chart  should  contain  the  data  concerning 
one  item  only.  It  should  be  very  clearly  stated 
and  illustrated,  and  where  possible,  comparisons 
made  with  other  communities  or  with  the  percent- 
age concerning  any  point  for  the  state  or  nation 
as  a  whole. 


D.      SOCIAL  CONDITION  AND  ACTIVITIES  RELATING  TO 
THE    HEALTH,    CONVENIENCE    AND    COM- 
FORT OF  THE  COMMUNITY 

I.  Housing: 

The  housing  conditions  of  a  community  affect 
practically  every  aspect  of  its  social  well-being, 
and  is  one  of  the  most  important  factors  in  de- 
termining the  health  and  morals  of  the  com- 
munity. In  order  to  make  an  effective  study  of 
housing  conditions  it  is  necessary  first,  to  be 
thoroughly  familiar  with  the  existing  laws  and 
regulations  affecting  the  conditions  and  methods 
of  construction  of  houses  and  tenements,  and  the 
extent  to  which  they  are  enforced.  Likewise, 
there  should  be  more  or  less  familiarity  with  the 
housing  conditions  of  other  communities  similar- 
ly located, — in  order  to  make  instructive  compari- 
sons. Most  medium  sized  American  cities  have 
very  meager  housing  laws,  and  hence  it  is  often 
necessary  to  secure  legislation  of  some  sort  be- 
fore the  simplest  official  action  can  be  secured. 
There  is  a  case  in  a  medium  sized  city  in  Illinois, 
which  illustrates  the  point.  A  case  of  typhoid 
was  found  in  a  family  which  came  to  the  attention 
of  the  United  Charities  of  that  city.  The  attend- 
ing physician  traced  its  origin  to  the  cellar,  where 
there  was  a  seepage  through  the  brick  wall,  caused 
by  a  defective  sewer  pipe.  The  landlord  paid  no 
attention  to  complaints,  and  the  city  authorities 
did  not  feel  they  had  power  to  act.  It  was  not 
until  the  matter  was  about  to  be  referred  to  the 
State  Board  of  Health  that  any  action  by  the  land- 
lord could  be  obtained.  Merely  getting  ordinances 
passed  without  sufficient  machinery  to  see  that 
they  are  enforced  is  almost  worse  than  no  laws 
whatever,  hence  if  any  legislative  action  is  ob- 
tained, provision  should  likewise  be  made  for  effi- 


J 


42  TECHNIQUE  OF   SOCIAL  SURVEYS 

dent  inspection  and  enforcement.     (5). 

1.  a/  Do  any  industries  furnish  houses  for  their  em- 

ployes ? 

b.'  Are  they  individual  cottages  ? 
c.'  What  is  their  character? 

2.  a/  Character    and    management    and    number    of 

boarding  houses? 

b.'  Number  and  location  of  lodging  houses  ? 
c.'  Number  lodgers  in  each? 
d.'  Amount  of  bed-room  space  per  lodger? 
e.'  Are  there  night  and  day  shifts  in  any  ? 

3.  Number  of  families  having  children,  who  take  board- 
ers?    Number  of  boarders  per  family? 

4.  Number  of  families  having  children,  who  take  room- 
ers?    Number  of  roomers  per  family? 

5.  Number  and  classification  of  hotels? 

6.  a.'  What   regulations    are   there    concerning   hotels 

and  rooming  houses  ? 
b.'  Are  the  regulations  enforced?     By  whom? 

7.  Are  there  any  rooming  houses  provided  by  philan- 
thropic agencies?     Capacity?     Condition? 

Often  industries  furnish  houses  which  have  the 
outward  appearance  of  being  satisfactory,  but  on 
closer  investigation  are  found  to  be  very  unsatis- 
factory and  neglected.  At  times  this  may  be  due 
to  the  tenants,  but  more  often  it  is  through  lack 
of  interest  and  failure  of  owners  to  keep  them  in 
a  proper  state  of  repair. 

The  above  items  will  concern  large  cities  more 
definitely  than  smaller  communities  although  the 
situation  in  small  cities  is  often  as  much  in  need 
of  an  investigation  as  larger  cities.  The  writer 
has  known  of  rooming  conditions  even  in  student 
quarters  of  University  towns  which  to  the  person 

(4.)     See  Henderson,  C.  R.  Social  Elements — Appendix. 

(5.)  Housing  Reform  and  A  Model  Tenement  House 
Law  by  Lawrence  Veiller,  N.  Y.  Charities  Publ.  Comm., 
105  E.  22  St.  What  Social  Workers  Should  Know,  Miss 
Byington.  Labor  and  Administration  by  J.  R.  Commons 
contains  a  Score  Card  for  dwelling  houses,  which  has  been 
found  to  be  very  efficient,  since  it  serves  to  standardize 
reports  made  in  house  to  house  investigations. 


HOUSING  43 

unacquainted  with  facts  would  seem  unbelievable. 
Likewise  small  cities  often  have  situations  which 
create  peculiar  problems.  The  City  of  Fargo, 
North  Dakota,  while  having  a  population  of  25,- 
000  (1917)  is  the  distribution  point  for  thousands 
of  laborers  every  harvest  season  and  as  a  result 
the  rooming  situation  at  that  period  of  the  year 
is  a  very  serious  problem.  Another  example  is  a 
city  of  about  3,500  in  Illinois.  It  was  thought 
there  was  no  industrial  or  housing  problem,  and 
consequently  a  local  charity  organization  did  re- 
lief work  in  a  neighboring  city.  However,  almost 
before  it  was  realized,  a  colony  of  about  400  Slavs 
had  grown  up  in  the  very  center  of  the  commu- 
nity. Most  of  them  were  men  without  families, 
who  were  attracted  there  by  opportunity  for  labor 
in  a  factory  located  in  the  city.  They  crowded 
together  in  delapidated  buildings,  a  deserted 
brewery,  an  old  disused  hotel  and  several  unused 
store  buildings,  in  a  manner  which  could  hardly 
have  been  duplicated  in  a  large  city ;  but  the  prob- 
lem was  so  near  home,  and  the  local  class  preju- 
dice was  so  high,  that  apparently  no  interest  was 
taken  toward  improving  their  condition.  Similar 
conditions  a  little  farther  from  home,  larger  in 
the  aggregate,  but  not  in  proportion  to  the  popu- 
lation would  have  been  given  at  least  some  of  the 
attention  merited, 
b.  Regulation  of  Private  Houses  and  Tenements : 

1.  What  are   the  requirements  regarding: 

a.'  Light  and  ventilation  of  halls  and  rooms? 
b.'  Vacant  spaces  in  yards  and  courts? 
c/  Surface  water  and  drainage? 
d.'  Sewer  connections? 

e/  Shallow  wells  and  other  sources  of  water  sup- 
ply? 

f .'  Indoor  Closets  ?     Outdoor  Closets  ? 
g/  The  use  of  cellars  for  living  purposes? 
h.'  Fire  escapes. 

2.  Are  there  special  provisions  for  new  or  remodeled 


44  TECHNIQUE   OF   SOCIAL  SURVEYS 

houses  and  tenements  ? 

3.  What  is  the  number  of  inspectors?     Specific  duties 
of  each?     Is  number  sufficient  to  do  work  each  is 
supposed  to  do?     If  not,  how  is  situation  met? 

4.  Do  they  inspect  on  their  own  initiative,  at  stated 
times  or  only  on  complaint? 

5.  a/  Have  the  inspectors  the  power  to  vacate  unfit 
houses?     What  method  of  procedure  is  taken  when 
an  unfit  house  is  found? 

6.  a/  What  was  the  number  of  violations  last  year? 
b.'  Nature  of  violations? 

c.'  Action  taken,  and  disposal  made  of  them  ? 
The  information  obtained  under  the  above  head- 
ing may  be  used  very  effectively  in  making  the 
Exhibit,  by  comparing  with  other  cities  and  with 
what  may  be  done  in  the  local  community.  In 
making  the  comparisons,  consideration  must  be 
taken  of  the  size  of  community,  work  accom- 
plished, equipment  and  cost. 

C.    SPECIAL  QUESTIONS  FOR  HOUSE  TO  HOUSE 

INVESTIGATION 

(Suggestions  for  items  to  be  considered  in  making  the 
detailed  investigation  in  connection  with  the  gathering  of 
Population  Statistics.) 

1.  a/  What  are  the  general  surroundings  of  dwelling 

place,  size  of  yard,  or  court  ? 
b.'  Percentage  of  lot  covered  by  buildings  ? 
c.'  In  what  condition  are  premises  kept? 

2.  a/  Is  there  surface  drainage? 

b.'  Is  live  stock  kept  on  premises?     Condition? 

3.  Do  inhabitants  show  any  degree  of  pride  in  appear- 
ance of  dwelling  place?     Are  they  encouraged  to  do 
so? 

4.  Is  air  poisoned  by  fumes,  gases,  dust  or  smoke  from 
factories,  railroads  or  marshes? 

5.  a.'  Number  rooms  per  family  ? 

b.'  Number  in  each  family,  Adults?     Children? 
c/  Floor  space  per  family?     Boarders  or  roomers? 

6.  Give  general  type  of  buildings? 

7.  Has  building  sewer  connections  ?     If  not,  what  dis- 
position is  made  of  sewage  ? 

8.  a/  What  per  cent  of  apartments  have  toilet  facili- 

ties in  common  with  others  ? 
b.'  What  is  condition  of  plumbing?     Type  of  toilet 


HOUSING  45 

ventilation  ? 

9.     Outdoor  Closets  ?     Condition  kept  ?     Number  using  ? 
Connection  with  sewer? 

10.  What  is  source  of  water  supply?     By  how  many 
persons  used?    . 

11.  a.'  Is  building  well  ventilated  and  lighted? 

b.'  Number  of  dark  or  ill- ventilated  rooms  and  halls  ? 

12.  Is  cause  of  their  being  dark  or  ill-ventilated  due  to 
nearness  to  other  buildings,  air  shafts,  or  interior 
rooms  ? 

13.  Are  there  cellar  or  basement  dwellings?    Number? 
Condition  ? 

14.  a.'  What  is  general  condition  of  cleanliness  of  build- 

ing? 

b/  Is  it  due  to  carelessness  of  inhabitants,  or  delapi- 
dated  condition  and  undesirable  surroundings  ? 

15.  Are  tenements  and  lodging  houses  properly  provided 
with  fire-escapes? 

The  above  questions  may  be  prepared  in  order 
on  a  sheet,  in  connection  with  several  questions 
indicated  under  "Population."  (1)  After  much 
experimenting  with  many  different  sets  of  in- 
vestigators ranging  from  highly  trained  men  to 
High  School  pupils,  the  writer  has  found  the  fol- 
lowing way  to  be  the  most  convenient.  The  ques- 
tions to  be  asked  at  each  house,  and  the  other 
items  to  be  observed  by  the  investigators  are 
numbered,  and  each  number  and  a  "key  word" 
of  the  question  it  represents,  is  printed  on  a  sep- 
arate line,  of  ruled  paper,  down  the  left  hand  side 
of  the  sheet.  The  back  side  of  the  sheet  is  left 
blank,  and  upon  this  the  investigator  can  sketch 
a  map  of  the  block  being  investigated  when  it  is 
desired  to  make  a  city  map  indicating  sanitary 
conditions  of  every  lot  in  each  block.  Streets  on 
sides  of  the  block  must  be  carefully  indicated.  In 
each  city  lot  certain  symbols  may  be  placed,  desig- 
nating the  sanitary  conditions  thereof.  The  data 
is  likewise  recorded  on  the  printed  side  of  the 
sheet,  and  thus  each  sheet  will  contain :  1st,  com- 
plete data  for  block  as  a  whole ;  2nd,  a  map  show- 


46 


TECHNIQUE   OF   SOCIAL  SURVEYS 


s 


K 

g 

QJ 


^ 


N 


e, 


5:-;» 


U 


f 


•\  «? 

X>  (5 

X  v, 

.X  c\ 


v>    O 


O 


q  s 


ws 

W 

ws 

ws 

o 

C 

ws 

W  5 

ws 

f 

n 

0 

* 

xs 

X 

X 

n 

X 

A 

X 

x<* 

'a 

*s 

AS 

X 

\ 

n 

f 

0 

/\ 

V 

r 

C 

c 

ws 

vvs 

® 

® 

ws 

0 

W 

® 

® 

-k 


'—   /t  //. 


HOUSING  47 

ing  sanitary  condition.    See  figure. 

The  results  of  this  house  to  house  investigation 
should  be  summarized  and  the  totals  of  each  item 
represented  on  a  large  chart,  with  striking  illus- 
trations wherever  possible,  and  with  comparative 
data  on  those  points  from  other  similar  commu- 
nities. 

Summary : 

1.  Number  of  houses   examined  which  were  seriously 
defective  ? 

2.  Average  number  of  families  in  each  ? 

3.  Total  number  of  persons  affected? 

4.  Number  of  children? 

5.  Number  of  cellar  or  basement  dwellings? 

6.  Number  of  buildings  covering  50%  of  lot?    75%? 

7.  Number  badly  kept  yards  and  surroundings? 

8.  Number  of  families  having  one  room  ?    Two  rooms  ? 
Three  rooms  ?    Four  rooms  ? 

9.  Number  of  houses  without  sewer  connections? 

10.  Number  of  houses  lacking  proper  toilet  facilities  ? 
(1)     See  chapter  on  "Compiling  Data." 

11.  Number  lacking  water  supply?     Light  and  ventila- 
tion?    Fire  escapes? 

12.  How  do  old  and  new  tenements  compare  in  the  light 
of  this  investigation? 

13.  Is  the  erection  of  new  buildings  properly  regulated 
by   building   laws?      Compare   local    laws    and   the 
method  of  enforcing  laws  with  other  communities? 

14.  What  special  needs  has  this  investigation  disclosed  ? 
The  special  needs  along  each  line  should  be 

simplified  as  much  as  possible,  so  that  the  people 
of  community  will  not  become  confused  nor  over- 
whelmed by  the  magnitude  of  the  problem  before 
them.  But  when  it  is  reduced  to  its  simplest 
form,  and  a  workable  plan  has  been  devised  for 
securing  the  remedy,  every  ounce  of  energy  should 
be  exerted  to  make  it  a  paramount  issue.  A  very 
thorough  campaign  of  education  along  that  line 
must  take  place  in  order  that  the  community  as 
a  whole  will  see  the  need  for  action  as  clearly  as 
the  few  individuals  directly  connected  with  the 
investigation. 


48  TECHNIQUE  OF   SOCIAL  SURVEYS 


1    i 

1 

:    » 

;      o 
i     o 

I 

£ 

f 

i  !Jj 

i 

itreet  . 
1  with  sewer  

/  .     !  *  1  I  i    :    - 

i      1       6      $      S     g      S       • 

;    ;     »    &    s    o    s     i    •: 
•g  5    .  .  ,      :    . 

S    ?      S9Niaiinsj.no 

n  ,  i  •:-,•  :  i  ; 

!S  |  M  i  ill 

S    2     :             !      i      ;     h    S 

1    | 

i 

^ 

'     i  a  3 

i    s 

?   '     ;     1 

;         -C       £ 

\i 

<« 

Total  No. 
No.  witho 

"5 
6 
Z 

SiU 

§ 

IS 

tn     o 

it    i 

en    en    -      S 

0           " 

2 
1 

i    ;  &  % 

|  s    !    ; 

u 

in 

.       W 

o: 

1 

1-  1  1 

~^1 

1 

K      *        ':       ] 

\          ; 

in 

3 

2 
0 

I 

5 

0 

z 

*V^"* 

0 

I 

0 

c 

8 

a 

? 

>• 

1  1 

PUBLIC   UTILITIES  49 

II.     Public  Utilities: 

The  rapid  development  of  public  utilities  and 
their  proper  development  and  control  is  becoming 
of  ever  increasing  importance.  Formerly  keeping 
up  the  highways  and  bridges  was  the  extent  to 
which  a  town  was  compelled  to  go.  To  this  was 
soon  added  sewage  and  garbage  disposal,  the 
water  supply,  fire  protection,  lighting  of  streets, 
the  problem  of  local  transportation  and  control 
of  street  traffic.  In  fact,  municipal  life  has  be- 
come so  complicated  and  so  dependent  upon  the 
services  of  the  various  utilities  that  the  failure 
of  any  one  to  function  properly  will  affect  the  life 
of  the  entire  community,  and  may  result  in  untold 
hardships. 

Before  taking  up  the  study  of  the  Public  Util- 
ities it  is  well  to  become  thoroughly  familiar  with 
the  different  forms  of  control  adopted  in  different 
states  of  the  Union,  notably,  Massachusetts,  New 
York  and  Wisconsin,  and  the  methods  used  by 
the  leading  American  cities  as  well  as  the  methods 
followed  in  European  countries.  (6). 

(6.)     Control  of  Public  Utilities,  see: 

Proceedings  of  Political  Science  Association,  1910. 

Proceedings  of  Nat'l  Mun.  League,  1910. 

Annals  of  the  Am.  Acad.  of  Political  and  Soc.  Sci.,  May, 
1910. 

Meyers,  B.  H.,  Am.  Pol.  Sci.  Review,  1911. 

Baker,  Municipal  Engineering  and  Sanitation. 

Fairlie,  J.  A.,  Mun.  Administration,  Cr.  II. 

Goodnow,  Municipal  Gov't. 

Munro,  Am.  Mun.  Gov't. 

A.  Streets  and  Local  Transportation : 

1.  a.'  Condition  of  Streets?     b.'  Types  of  Paving? 
c/  Mileage  of  each? 

2.  a/  Under  what  legal  and  municipal  conditions  are 

new  streets  laid  out?  b.'  Is  there  a  well  organ- 
ized plan  for  city  development?  c/  Are  existing 
streets  properly  located?  d.'  Is  their  width 
adapted  to  their  use  ?  e.'  Is  there  street  parking  ? 

3.  Character   of   bridges;     viaducts;    grade-crossings? 


50  TECHNIQUE  OF   SOCIAL  SURVEYS 

Do  any  of  above  present  a  specific  problem  ? 

4.  Method  and  frequency  of  street  cleaning:,  sweeping 
or  flushing? 

5.  Are  the  ordinances  referring  to  streets  applied  to 
alleys  as  well  ?    Are  they  enforced  ?    If  not,  what  is 
the  reason? 

6.  Street  railway  and  other  local  transportation  facili- 
ties ?     Are  they  adequate  ?     Satisfactory  ? 

7.  a/  Are  street  railways  owned  privately  or  by  mu- 

nicipality?    b.'  If  privately  owned,  what  are  the 
terms  of  the  franchise  contract  ?  • 

8.  What  regulation  is  there  of  taxicab  and  other  livery 
service  ? 

B.  Sewage  and  Garbage  Disposal : 

1.  a.'  Is  there  an  adequate  sewer  system?     b.'  Does  it 

cover  all  parts  of  the  community  ?    c.'  Make  map 
of  community  showing  extent  of  system. 

2.  Is  there  any  ordinance  which  deals  with  the  connect- 
ing of  all  buildings  with  sewer  ?    To  what  extent  en- 
forced?     If  not   enforced,   what   seems   to   be   the 
reason  ? 

The  exact  number  and  location  of  every  house 
not  connected  with  sewer  may  be  secured  in  mak- 
ing the  house  to  house  canvass.  One  of  the  most 
striking  features  of  every  complete  survey  is  the 
large  number  of  houses,  often  in  the  best  residence 
section  of  a  city  which  are  not  connected  with 
sewer.  Sometimes  there  is  an  old  house,  which 
was  built  before  the  sewer  was  extended  to  its 
present  limits.  The  owners  feel  that  the  building 
is  not  worth  improving  and  as  a  result,  year  after 
year  will  pass  by  with  no  change  in  the  matter. 
In  making  a  survey  of  a  city  having  a  population 
of  about  20,000  the  writer  found  two  business 
blocks,  almost  in  the  center  of  town  which  had 
neither  sewer  nor  water  connections.  In  addition 
to  the  many  small  business  houses,  hotels  and 
rooming  houses;  there  were  360  permanent  resi- 
dents in  one  of  those  blocks.  The  owners,  how- 
ever, insisted  that  the  buildings  were  not  worth 
the  extra  expense  of  sewer  and  water  connections. 
Not  until  the  matter  was  brought  to  the  attention 


PUBLIC   UTILITIES  51 

of  the  community  by  means  of  the  survey  was  it 
possible  to  arouse  more  than  a  passing  interest  in 
the  matter. 

3.  What  disposition  is  made  of  the  sewage? 

4.  a.'  Is   there   a   sewage   disposal   plant?      Type   and 

method  of  conducting  it?  b.'  If  there  is  no 
sewage  disposal  plant  in  what  manner  is  sewage 
disposed  of?  c.'  Does  it  endanger  local  water 
supply?  d.'  Does  it  endanger  health  of  individ- 
uals or  cities  outside  of  local  community? 

5.  Does    City   collect   garbage?      Method;    equipment; 
frequency;  cost? 

6.  If  City  does  not  collect  garbage,  method  of  disposal  ? 
What  effect  has  method  of  disposal  on  sanitation  of 
City? 

7.  Are  alleys  and  back  yards  kept  free  from  refuse? 

Much  of  this  material  will  be  obtained  in  the 
house  to  house  visitation  and  the  investigators 
should  be  very  careful  to  note  all  conditions  as 
they  proceed  and  record  location  and  extent 
thereof  carefully. 

C.     Water,  Fire  Protection,  Light  and  Heat: 

1.  a.'  Source  of  public  water  supply?    b.'  Municipal  or 

private  plant,  c.'  What  are  the  rates  ?  How  do 
these  compare  with  rates  in  other  towns  of  simi- 
lar size  and  location?  d/  If  rates  differ  from 
those  compared,  what  is  the  reason  ?  e/  Sanitary 
condition  of  water?  (B.  1.  c.') 

2.  Is  there  adequate  fire  protection  ?     Compare  with 

other  cities  regarding  equipment  and  units. 

3.  a.'  Do  water  mains  extend  to  all  parts  of  the  com- 

munity? b.'  Number  of  houses  not  connected 
with  water.  See  (D.  I.  Summary). 

4.  a.'  What  is  number  of  open  or  shallow  wells  ? 
b/  Number  unprotected  from  surface  drainage? 
c/  Other  wells  ? 

5.  Make  map  showing  location  of  all  objectional  wells 

and  outdoor  closets  in  the  city. 
(See  House  to  House  Investigation  D.  I.) 

In  the  survey  of  Urbana,  Illinois,  mentioned 
above,  it  was  found  that  while  the  city  had  an 
excellent  water  system,  a  portion  of  the  city  re- 
ceived little  of  its  benefits,  and  that  it  had  prac- 


52  TECHNIQUE  OF   SOCIAL  SURVEYS 

tically  no  fire  protection.  An  investigation  of  the 
water  supply  revealed  the  following  for  that  sec- 
tion: Shallow  open  wells,  124;  bored  wells,  8; 
city  water,  13.  Of  the  124  shallow  wells  17  were 
considered  unfit  for  use  at  the  time  of  the  investi- 
gation, but,  as  it  was  the  spring  of  the  year,  noth- 
ing was  thought  of  it,  as  many  of  them,  being 
from  8  to  18  feet  deep,  "went  bad"  in  the  spring- 
time. This  same  investigation  revealed  142 
privies  and  water  closets  unconnected  with  the 
sewer,  and  only  5  houses  had  modern  plumbing. 
In  spite  of  these  conditions,  people  were  surprised 
at  the  annual  death  rate.  Likewise  in  Lawrence, 
Kansas,  there  were  scattered  throughout  the  city 
1,500  wells  and  over  1,500  outdoor  toilets.  An 
analysis  was  made  of  874  wells  in  1915.  Of  these 
765  were  south  of  Kaw  River,  and  599  were  bad 
or  suspicious,  while  only  166  or  21  per  cent  were 
good.  This  includes  the  University  section  of  the 
city,  where  in  1916,  there  were  22  cases  of  typhoid 
among  students,  resulting  in  four  deaths.  Of  the 
1,500  outdoor  toilets,  over  700  were  not  connected 
with  the  sewer.  These  were  not  limited  to  the 
poorer  sections  of  the  city,  but  were  found  even 
in  the  University  section.  Now  these  examples 
are  not  outstanding  in  any  way  except  that  they 
are  typical  and  show  how  it  is  often  the  case,  that 
we  live  for  years  in  surroundings  which  we  hardly 
notice  because  of  their  familiarity.  When  an 
epidemic  of  typhoid  breaks  out,  as  was  the  case 
among  the  University  students  at  Lawrence, 
Kansas,  in  1916,  we  blindly  ask  "Where  did  they 

get  it  ?"  and  let  the  matter  rest  at  that. 

7.  a.'  What  means  of  public  lighting  in  community? 
b.'  Are  plants  owned  by  city  or  private  companies? 

8.  How  does  cost  of  light  compare  with  other  cities  ? 

9.  Are  there  municipal  or  privately  owned  public  heat- 
ing and  power  plants  ?     Extent  used  ? 


PUBLIC  UTILITIES  53 

D.  Other  Utilities  and  Improvements : 

1.  a.'  What   are   the   facilities   for   handling   and   dis- 

tributing mail  ?  b.'  Are  needs  of  city  adequately 
supplied  ? 

2.  Is  telegraph  service  good? 

3.  What  per  cent  of  families  use  the  telephone?     Is 
there  more  than  one  system  ? 

4.  a.  What    public    buildings,    markets,    public    baths, 

comfort  stations,  rest  rooms,  hospitals  in  the 
community?  b.'  How  adapted  to  use?  c.'  In 
what  condition  kept?  d.'  Are  any  in  process  of 
construction?  e.'  What  are  the  most  pressing 
needs  of  city  along  above  line? 

5.  What  centers  in  community  whose  purpose  is  to  add 
convenience,  comfort  and  beauty? 

6.  What  efforts  are  being  made  to  improve  the  general 
appearance  of  the  city? 

7.  Are  telephone  poles,  unsightly  lamp  posts,  etc.,  tol- 
erated?    Any  effort  to  regulate  Bill  Boards? 

8.  What  provisions  are  made  for  tree  planting,  park- 
ing and  beautifying  in  general  ? 

There  are  various  kinds  of  public  utilities  which 
have  not  been  mentioned  here,  since  they  are  not 
as  generally  found  as  those  noted;  but  the  in- 
vestigation of  which  should  be  based  upon  the 
general  considerations  which  were  suggested  in 
some  detail  above.  The  general  course  to  be 
followed  in  making  these  investigations  consist  in : 

1.  Conference  with  officials  and  employees  of  the  par- 
ticular utility  being  investigated. 

2.  Survey  of  its  activities,  transactions  and  records. 

3.  Detailed  study  of: 

a/  Operating  processes, 
b.'  Business  transactions, 
c/  Accounting, 
d.'  Administration, 
e/  Organization. 

4.  Study  of  mechanical  and  technical  work  performed. 

5.  Operating  performance  and  efficiency. 

6.  Making  of  report,  with  suggestions  for  reorganiza- 
tion, improvement  of  plant,  as  well  as  noting  any 
failure  to  meet  the  needs  of  the  community. 


54  TECHNIQUE   OF   SOCIAL  SURVEYS 

III.  Disease  and  Health  Measures : 

It  is  a  well  known  fact  that  statistics  concerning 
the  health  conditions  of  most  communities  cannot 
be  relied  upon.  The  American  people,  as  a  whole, 
do  not  seem  to  realize  the  value  of  accurate  health 
reports,  and  as  a  result  those  we  have  cannot  be 
relied  upon  except  to  indicate  the  general  situa- 
tion. Even  though  a  rather  heavy  fine  is  placed 
upon  the  neglect  to  properly  record  births  and 
deaths,  great  laxity  is  often  found.  In  one  city 
where  there  was  a  penalty  of  twenty-five  dollars 
attached  to  the  failure  to  record  births, — a  very 
brief  investigation  disclosed  the  fact  that  during 
a  period  of  six  months  eleven  births  had  not  been 
recorded,  and  several  deaths  had  been  improperly 
recorded.  In  one  Kansas  city,  the  local  health 
officer  admitted  that  he  sometimes  neglected 
to  record  births,  while  in  almost  every  com- 
munity we  find  laxity  in  the  reporting  of  con- 
tagious and  communicable  diseases.  When  such 
conditions  prevail,  and  examples  may  be  found  in 
nearly  every  community,  the  value  of  the  records 
is  very  materially  lessened.  Therefore,  while 
it  may  be  found  in  making  this  study  that  many 
of  the  statistics  have  little  value,  if  the  lack  of 
care  in  recording  them  can  be  shown  and  their 
value  impressed  upon  the  community,  the  effort 
will  be  well  repaid. 

Some  of  the  data  required  may  be  obtained 
from  the  State  Health  Department,  from  the  local 
Health  Officers,  Physicians,  Nurses,  Midwives, 
School  officials  and  Teachers,  and  also  certain 
aspects  of  the  situation  will  be  obtained  in  the 
house  to  house  canvass. 

1.  a.'  What  is  death  rate  by  wards  for  past  five  years  ? 
b.'  Apparent  cause  of  excess  in  any  ward  ? 

2.  a/  Is  it  more  prevalent  among  certain  racial  groups  ? 
b.'  Any  apparent  reason  ? 


DISEASE  AND  HEALTH  MEASURES  55 

3.  Number  of  cases  of  each  contagious  disease  reported 
or  known  within  past  two  years?     Make  chart  of 
principal  diseases   on  basis  found  among  different 
nationalities. 

4.  a.'  What  quarantine  measures  are  used? 

b.'  Attitude    of    public    and    of    physicians    toward 

quarantine  measures? 
c.'  What  communicable  or  contagious  diseases   are 

not  quarantined,  or  only  in  part? 

5.  Do  physicians  and  midwives  report  all  births?     Are 
midwives    licensed?      What   precautions    are   taken 
against  Opthalmia  Neonatorum?     (7) 

6.  a.'  What  epidemics  have  there  been  in  the  last  five 

years?     b.'  Number  affected?     c.'  Number  who 
received  free  treatment  in  hospitals   or  dispen- 
saries?    d.'  For  what  disease? 
(7.)     For  information  write  to  "The  Committee  on  the 

Prevention  of  Blindness,"  105   E.  Twenty-Second   Street, 

N.  Y.  City. 

7.  Has  recurrence  of  epidemic  from  same  cause  been 
prevented?      If    any    disease    has    been    especially 
prevalent,  what  seems  to  be  the  cause? 

8.  a/  Medical  inspection  of  schools?     How  adequate? 
b/  Number  of  children  absenting  themselves  from 

school  during  the  past  year  because  of  illness? 
Number  of  days  lost? 

9.  Has  school  been  closed  on  account  of  epidemics  ? 

10.  a/  Number    of   cases    of   illness   discovered   among 

school  children  by  medical  examiner  ?  b.'  Nature 
of  illness?  c.'  Number  of  cases  of  tuberculosis 
found  among  children? 

11.  a/  What  other  measures  are  taken  regarding  health 

inspection  in  the  community?  (See  Sewage  and 
Garbage.)  b.'  What  are  the  state  regulations 
regarding  sanitation  in  industrial  establish- 
ments? (8) 

12.  Is  there  special  need  of  health  education  among  the 
people  at  large  in  regard  to  care  of  homes?     What 
is  being  done?     (9)     - 

(8.)  Note  especially  the  laws  of  New  York,  Massachu- 
setts and  Illinois  on  Factory  Sanitation.  They  are  among 
the  best  in  the  United  States. 

(9.)  Much  may  be  done  toward  improving  health  con- 
ditions in  a  city  by  campaigns  for  health.  Possibly  as 
much  has  been  done  in  this  line  in  Chicago  (see  Health 
Bulletin)  as  in  any  city  in  the  country.  Co-operation  of 
all  the  different  organizations  possible  working  hand  in 


56  TECHNIQUE  OF   SOCIAL  SURVEYS 

hand  with  the  Health  Department  is  sure  to  decrease  any 
prevailing  evil. 

13.  a.'  What  regulations  are  there  concerning  food  in- 

spection?    What  is  the  local  condition  of  places 
having  food  for  sale  ? 

14.  What    milk    regulations?      How    enforced?      Make 
bacteriological  tests  of  milk  sold  in  community,  and 
investigate  all  dairies  which  furnish  milk  to  city,  as 
well  as  local  milk  depots. 

15.  What  has  been  done  to  increase  knowledge  of  the 
care  of  health?      (See  Chicago  Health  Bulletins.) 

16.  Is  there  need  of  a  more  rigid  enforcement  of  laws 
regarding  the  reporting  of  all  forms  of  contagious 
and  communicable  diseases?       (See  California  and 
New  York  Regulations.) 

17.  What  work  has  been  done  by  the  various  societies 
for  the  prevention  of  diseases  ? 

18.  Is  fumigation  required  after  tuberculosis  cases?     If 
not — why  not? 

19.  a.'  Are  death  reports  and  causes  discussed  in  daily 

press  ? 

20.  Summarized   and   Make   Charts   of    Data    Obtained 
Above  with  Suggestions. 


E.      WEALTH  AND  INDUSTRY 


I.  Distribution  of  Wealth: 

A  knowledge  of  the  distribution  of  wealth  in  a 
community  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  assets  of 
a  social  worker,  since  much  of  the  community  and 
individual  welfare  is  based  upon  the  matter  of 
income.  The  social  status  of  a  community's  so 
dependent  upon  the  economic  status,  that  in  an 
industrial  community  where  income  resolves  it- 
self into  wages  and  steadiness  of  employment,  a 
study  of  those  items  will  give  one  more  insight 
into  social  conditions  than  any  other  single  study 
could  reveal.  In  one  community  where  the  follow- 
ing outline  was  used  it  was  found  that  50  per 
cent  of  the  heads  of  families  had  a  weekly  in- 
come of  fifteen  dollars  a  week  or  less.  However, 
the  average  yearly  income  of  working  men  was 
higher  than  in  another  community  studied  where 
the  weekly  wage  of  laborers  varied  from  fifteen 
to  twenty  dollars  a  week.  The  reason  was  that 
much  time  was  lost  because  of  severe  winters  and 
other  factors  which  cut  the  yearly  average  of  la- 
borers in  that  community  to  $420  notwithstand- 
ing their  high  weekly  wage.  Hence,  great  care 
must  be  exerted  in  making  a  study  of  economic 
and  industrial  conditions,  to  get  all  the  factors 
which  have  any  bearing  upon  the  income  of  work- 
men in  community.  Seasonal  labor,  cost  of  fuel 
and  water;  rental  and  food  prices  must  be  care- 
fully considered  in  making  a  comparative  study 
of  the  income  of  workers  in  different  commu- 
nities. 

The  data  required  may  be  obtained  from  the 
reports  and  records  and  philanthropic  agencies, 
labor  organizations,  payrolls  and  reports  of  vari- 


58  TECHNIQUE   OF   SOCIAL  SURVEYS 

ous  industrial  establishments,  banks,  insurance 
companies,  and  other  sources  mentioned  in  con- 
nection with  the  different  studies  already 
suggested. 

In  addition  to  data  from  these  sources,  the 
house  to  house  canvass  will  give  the  occupation 
of  all  members  of  community.  With  a  knowledge 
of  the  prevailing  wages  and  salaries  paid,  and 
information  concerning  extent  of  unemployment, 
the  data  from  above  named  sources  will  be 
supplemented. 

1.  a.'  Is  there  much  poverty  in  the  community? 

b.'  What  is  the  total  number  of  persons  aided  by 
charitable  and  philanthropic  agencies,  municipal 
and  private,  during  the  past  year  ? 
c.'  How  does  percentage  of  persons  helped  compare 

with  other  communities? 

d.'  What  was  chief  cause  for  the  need  of  such  aid  ? 
e.'  What  has  been  done  to  prevent  repetition  of  the 

same  situation? 

The  writer  once  made  a  study  of  a  community 
which  had  a  flood  practically  every  year.  Each 
time  there  was  a  flood,  scores  of  families  were 
driven  from  their  homes  and  were  cared  for  by 
the  city,  and  by  the  local  organizations  of  vari- 
ous kinds.  Each  time  there  was  a  flood,  more 
damage  was  done  to  property,  not  to  speak  of  the 
cost  of  caring  for  the  needy  families,  than  it 
would  have  cost  to  construct  a  levee  for  a  distance 
of  about  300  feet  although  that  was  all  that  was 
necessary  to  keep  the  river  from  flooding  the 
town. 

2.  Is  the  proportion  of  persons  without  any  property 
increasing  or  decreasing? 

3.  a.'  What  is  the  per  capita  wealth  of  the  community 
according  to  estimate  ?    How  great  are  the  extremes 
of  wealth  ? 

4.  a.'  What  percent  in  gainful  occupations  or  heads  of 
families  have  an  income  of  $5,000  or  over  per  year? 
Of  $2,500  or  over?     Of  $1,000  and  under  $2,500? 
Of  less  than  $1,000  and  over  $700  ?    Of  $15  per  week 


WEALTH  AND  INDUSTRY  59 

or  less? 

5.  Classes   of  common   labor  most  numerously  repre- 
sented, and  wages  of  each?     Proportion  of  each? 

6.  Per  cent  of  families  who  are  aided  by  charity  and 
who  are  habitual  debtors?     a.'  How  many  families 
own  their  homes?     b.'  Number  who  rent?     c/  Per 
cent  of  each? 

7.  Is  the  tendency  to  own  homes  on  the  increase  or  de- 
crease ? 

8.  a/  What  is  the  average  value  of  individually  owned 
homes  ? 

b/  Per  cent  free  from  mortgages? 

9.  a.'  Are  there  building  loan  associations?     b/  Con- 
ditions ? 

10.  a/   Per   cent   of  people   earning   salaries   who   own 
homes  ? 

b.'  Per  cent  earning  wages? 

11.  a/  What  are  the  chief  causes  of  poverty?     b.'   Is 
there  any  effort  being  made  to  rectify  them?  (11) 

12.  a.'  How  does  the  cost  of  living   (fuel,  rent,  light, 
water,  and  food)  compare  with  the  rate  of  wages? 
b.'   Has   anything  been   done   by   employers   to   in- 
crease wages  to  meet  increased  cost  of  living?     (12) 

13.  a.'  How  do  these  conditions  compare  with  similar 
communities  in  other  parts  of  the  state?     b/   With 
similar  communities  in  other  states?  (13) 

14.  a.'  Per  cent  of  laboring  people  who  have  deposits 
in  bank?     Total  deposits  in  savings  banks,  average 
amount  per  depositor?     b.'  Is  there  a  Postal  Sav- 
ings Bank?     c.'  Extent  patronized? 

15.  Are  there  any  organizations  which  loan  money  to 
workers  on  their  notes  at  reasonable  rate  of  inter- 
est?    Tell  what  they  are,  and  their  methods? 

16.  Total  amount  of  money  transmitted  to  foreign  coun- 
tries last  year? 

(11).     See  Poverty  by  Robert  Hunter. 

(12).  For  study  of  Family  Budgets  see  Study  of  Chi- 
cago Stockyards  Community  by  J.  C.  Kennedy  and  others. 
Standard  of  Living  Among  Workingmen's  Families  by  R. 
C.  Chapin,  Charities  Publishing  Company,  New  York  and 
Chicago.  Cost  of  Living  by  Ellen  Richards.  A  Living 
Wage  by  Samuel  Gompers,  The  American  Federationalist, 
April,  1898. 

(13).  Wages  in  the  United  States,  Scott  Nearing,  "Le- 
gal Minimum  Wage  in  the  U.  S."  by  A.  M.  Holcombe,  Am. 
Econ.  Rev.  Vol.  2,  Fabian  Socialist  Tract,  No.  128. 


60  TECHNIQUE   OF   SOCIAL  SURVEYS 

II.     Industrial  Activities : 

Facts  concerning  the  industrial  activities  of  the 
community  may  be  secured  to  some  extent  from 
employers  of  labor,  labor  leaders,  and  from  the 
board  of  trade,  or  chamber  of  commerce  as  well  as 
from  magazines  and  newspapers.  Likewise  some 
states  have  departments  of  labor  from  which  a 
certain  amount  of  data  may  be  obtained.  How- 
ever, the  investigator  must  carefully  check  up  all 
data  received  from  these  various  sources  and  bu- 
reaus, and  supplement  it  by  data  obtained  by  in- 
dividual investigation. 

A.     Control  of  Industries : 

1.  What  are  state  laws  governing  age  limits,  hours, 
conditions  and  kind  of  industries  in  which  women 
and  children  may  be  employed  ?    Compare  with  laws 
of  leading  states.  How  enforced  in  this  community  ? 

2.  What  legal  restrictions  are  placed  on  tenement  in- 
dustries?     (See  Holden  v.  Hardy  169,  U.   S.   366; 
Otis  v.  Parker,  187,  U.  S.  606;  re  Jacobs  98  N.  Y.  98, 
103,  112-114.     Cases  seem  to  show  that  legislature 
cannot  get  away  from  prevailing  economic  status.) 

3.  a/  Are  age  certificates  required  in  this  state?     b.' 
Number  issued  in  community  last  year?     c.'  Num- 
ber exceptions  to  the  law  allowed?     Reasons? 

4.  a/  Number  of  prosecutions  for  violation?    b.'  Num- 
ber of  convictions  ? 

5.  Are  records  kept  and  reports  made  to  a  state  de- 
partment ? 

6.  Compare  industrial  laws  of  your  state  and  commun- 
ity with  those  of  others? 

7.  How  do  the  general  labor  conditions  compare  with 
those  of  other  communities? 

8.  a.'  Has  work  been  suspended  during  recent  years 
because  of  strikes  and  lockouts  ?     b/  Number  of  in- 
dustries and  workers  affected? 

9.  What  have  been  the  results  of  the  more  important 
strikes  in  last  few  years? 

10.     Give  number  and  type  of  trade  unions,  employers 

unions,  protective  agencies,  etc.? 
Concerning    each    of    the    above:    a'.     Dues, 
amounts,  and  methods  of  grading  collection?    b'. 
Accounts  properly  kept?    Reports  published?   c'. 


WEALTH  AND  INDUSTRY  61 

Affiliated  with  any  other  organization?  Is  work 
duplicated  by  any?  d'.  What  insurance  features? 
Educational?  e'.  Method  used  by  each  to  improve 
conditions  ?  f  /  Do  unions  seems  to  increase  or  to 
diminish  efficiency  of  laborers?  g'.  What  has 
been  the  effect  of  local  labor  union  on  wages,  Sun- 
day labor,  and  sanitary  condition  of  laborers?  h'. 
How  are  unions  in  general  regarded  by  commu- 
nity? Is  label  demanded  on  goods? 

B.  Specific  Questions  for  Individual  Indus- 
tries : 

1.  a.'  Value  of  plant?     b/  Value  of  output?    c.'  Could 
the  capital  for  supplying  the  required  machinery  be 
supplied  by  workers  themselves? 

2.  a.'  Total  number  of  employees?     b.'  Number  of  na- 
tionalities?    c.'  Number  of  men,  women,  children? 
d.'  Number  married   (men,  women)  ?     e/  Per  cent 
skilled?     Unskilled? 

3.  Average  wages  of  each  class? 

4.  Extent  that  labor  in  this  industry  is  seasonal,  casual, 
or  permanent?     (14) 

5.  What  is  the   average  number  of  days  worked  by 
skilled?     Unskilled? 

6.  a.'  What  opportunity  does  it   give  for  training  or 
advancement?     b/  Is  apprentice  system  in  vogue? 

7.  a.'   Is  there   a   pension  fund?     b/   Accident  insur- 
ance?    c/  Profit  sharing?     Type  of  each  (compare 
with  German  and  English  systems.) 

8.  What  are  the  methods  of  obtaining  work  ? 

9.  What  are  the  hours  of  work  ?     b/  Number  days  per 
week?     c/  Overtime,  if  paid? 

10.     What  is  the  maximum  and  minimum  amount  of  em- 

(14).  Of  even  greater  importance  than  the  rate  of 
wages  paid,  is  fluctuation  in  the  demand  for  labor  by  in- 
dustrial establishments.  Not  only  does  seasonal  labor  ma- 
terially affect  the  income,  but  the  community  life  becomes 
unstable,  thriftless,  and  changing. 

Unemployment  in  the  U.  S.  Final  Rep.  of  Industrial 
Com. 

Problem  of  the  Unemployed,  Hobson. 

Encyclopedia  of  Social  Reform. 

Reports  of  U.  S.  Bureau  of  Laoor. 

Report  of  Mayor's  Commission  on  Unemployment,  Chi- 
cago, 1914. 


(52     TECHNIQUE  OF  SOCIAL  SURVEYS 

ployment  offered  in  this  industry? 

11.  What  are  the  general  conditions  under  which  labor 
is  carried  on?     a.'  Is  fire  protection  adequate?     b.' 
Machinery  safeguards?     c.'  What  is  the  condition 
of  lighting  in  the  place  of  work  ?    d/  Is  there  proper 
ventilation  ?     e/  Are  women  and  children  segregat- 
ed from  men  ?    f .'  Are  there  proper  toilet  facilities  ? 

12.  What  is  the  existing  attitude  between  laborers  and 
employers  ?       Is  there  any  arrangement  for  decid- 
ing disputes  ? 

C.     General  Summary : 

1.  a/  What  are  the  manufacturing  industries  in  this 
community?      b.'    Number    of    operating    establish- 
ments in  each  industry?     Total  employed? 

2.  Number  of  other  businesses  such  as  banks,  stores, 
restaurants,   livery  barns,    hotels,    post  office,    tele- 
graph and  telephone,  and  express  companies,  rail- 
roads, offices  of  professional  men,  etc.?     Total  em- 
ployed ? 

3.  a.'  Total  output  and  total  capital  employed  in  all 
manufacturing  industries  ?    b/  In  other  industries  ? 

4.  Give,   if   possible,   the   total   number,    and   average 
wages  of  each  of  the  following  classes:     a/  Men, 
skilled,  unskilled,    b.'  Women,  skilled,  unskilled,    c.' 
Children,     d.'  What  is  average  number  of  days  per 
year,  each  class  is  employed? 

5.  What  lines  of  work  are  carried  on  by  laborers  aside 
from  regular  employment? 

6.  What  is  the  maximum  and  minimum  amount  of  em- 
ployment offered  by  all  employment  giving  agencies 
in  the  city? 

7.  What  is  the  total  number  of  persons  in  the  city  de- 
pendent upon  employment  ?    How  do  these  two  items 
compare  ? 

8.  a.'  What  per  cent  of  people  seek  employment  else- 
where?    b.'  Are  they  forced  to  do  so?     Is  there  a 
free  employment  agency  in  the  city? 

9.  What  effect  has  scarcity  or  over  supply  of  labor  on 
community  ? 

10.  Extent  of  growth  of  various  industries  in  the  last 
ten  years? 

11.  a.'  Have  any  new  industries  been  developed  or  old 
ones  bought  out,  suspended  or  absorbed  by  larger 
concerns  in  the  last  ten  years?     b/  Have  industries 
absorbed  been  bought  out  by  local  competitors  or 
outside  interests? 

12.  What  is  the  legal  or  financial  connection  between 


WEALTH  AND  INDUSTRY  63 

any  of  the  industries? 

13.  To  what  extent  are  industries  owned  by  outsiders  ? 

14.  Does  method  of  taxation  have  an  effect  on  establish- 
ment of  new  industries? 

15.  Are  industries  dependent  on  each  other's  products? 

16.  Extent  to  which  manufacturies   are   carried   on   in 
tenements  or  other  buildings  not  adapted  for  indus- 
trial purposes? 

17.  a.'   What   products    are    manufactured     in    "sweat 
shops?"     b/  Under  what  conditions?     c/  Wages? 
d/  To  what  extent  are  children  employed  in  them? 

The  statistics  derived  under  the  general  sum- 
mary of  the  industrial  survey  are  especially  valu- 
able for  charts  and  maps  to  be  used  at  the  com- 
munity exhibit,  altho  in  larger  communities  the 
other  material  may  be  used  for  the  same  purpose. 
Much  tact  will  be  necessary  in  securing  the  above 
material,  and  often  it  will  be  necessary  to  give  as- 
surance that  the  data  concerning  the  status  of 
individual  industries  will  not  be  used  for  any  other 
purpose  than  to  secure  the  total  results  of  similar 
lines  of  industry  in  the  community.  Great  care 
must  likewise  be  exercised  by  the  investigators  to 
keep  their  own  mind  unbiased.  The  situation 
which  often  arises  may  be  illustrated  by  two  men 
who  made  investigations  in  a  certain  coal  mining 
region,  at  approximately  the  same  time.  One  fa- 
vored the  miners,  and  consequently  reported  a 
situation  in  which  the  mine  workers  were  repre- 
sented as  models  of  goodness,  sobriety,  industry 
and  efficiency,  while  the  mine  owners  were  repre- 
sented as  being  everything  undesirable.  The  sec- 
ond investigator  who  favored  the  mine  owners, 
saw  nothing  but  what  was  most  desirable  in  the 
activities  of  the  employers  and  reported  a  most 
exaggerated  situation  regarding  the  mine  work- 
ers. The  fact  of  the  matter  was,  that  neither  re- 
port had  any  real  value.  Both  investigators  were 
prejudiced  and  hence  neither  saw  things  as  they 
actually  were.  The  fact  can  never  be  emphasized 


64  TECHNIQUE  OF   SOCIAL  SURVEYS 

too  much,  that  an  investigation  in  order  to  have 
any  scientific  value  must  be  made  by  persons 
whose  minds  are  free  from  bias  on  the  subject, 
and  who  are  capable  of  seeing  both  sides  of  any 
situation  pertaining  thereto. 

III.     Transportation  and  Storage : 

1.  What  railroad  lines  pass  through  the  city? 

2.  a.'  Give  number,  capacity,  etc.  of  warehouses,  eleva- 
tors, and  cold  storage  plants.     Are  they  adequate 
and  convenient?     b.'  Include  map  of  the  chief  lines 
of  transportation  and  communication. 

3.  a/  To  what  extent  is  this  a  distributing  center  ? 
*      b.'  Commodities  chiefly  shipped? 

4.  a.'  What  places  of  importance  are  within  easy  dis- 
tance ?    Does  this  enaole  men  to  pass  to  or  from  ad- 
jacent cities  for  daily  work  ? 

5.  What  water  connections  has  city  ?    a.'  Are  there  any 
regular  steamship  routes  ?     b/  Number  of  lines  and 
routes  ?     Number  and  size  of  vessels  ?     c.'  Size  and 
number  of  docks?     Dock  equipment? 

6.  How  does  the  freight  and  passenger  service  com- 
pare in  cost,  convenience  and  speed  with  that  of  the 
railroad  ? 

7.  a/  How  do  the  rates  of  steamship  and  railroads  on 
fuel,  lumber  and  food  supply  affect  the  local  prices 
of  these  necessities?     b.'  Compare  prices  of  staple 
articles  with  prices  in  other  communities  which  do 
not  have  the  same  transportation  facilities. 


F.      GROUP  RELATIONSHIP. 


In  making  a  survey  of  a  community  one  of  the 
most  important  things  to  be  done,  as  was  said  in 
discussing  the  Survey  Machinery  is  to  come  into 
close  contact  with  the  different  groups  already  or- 
ganized in  the  community.  The  interest  of  every 
group  should  be  enlisted  in  the  work  where  possi- 
ble, in  order  that  the  ground  which  has  already 
been  covered  by  these  organizations  need  not  be 
gone  over  again ;  that  greater  co-operation  may  be 
secured  and  over-lapping  of  activities  eliminated, 
and  that  the  individual  groups  may  be  made  more 
efficient  within  their  respective  fields. 

I.     Political : 

In  many  cities  there  is  already  established  a 
Bureau  of  Public  Efficiency,  a  Civic  League,  or 
similar  organization  whose  purpose  it  is  to  keep 
in  touch  with  the  local  political  situation.  Where 
this  is  the  case  many  phases  of  the  problem  have 
been  thoroughly  studied  and  the  co-operation  of 
such  organizations  is  essential  in  obtaining  the 
best  results.  It  is  likewise  essential  that  the  sup- 
port of  the  Administration  of  the  city  and  county 
be  secured.  In  fact,  if  the  preliminary  work  of  the 
survey  has  been  properly  handled,  there  will  be 
enough  public  sentiment  and  influential  organiza- 
tions back  of  the  movement,  that  City  and  County 
officials  will  feel  it  their  duty  to  do  all  they  can 
to  help  the  work  along.  If  the  preliminary  work 
has  not  been  carefully  done,  and  the  "machinery" 
has  not  been  well  organized  the  Survey  may  give 
the  appearance  of  a  semi-private  enterprise  peer- 
ing into  the  private  and  public  activities  of  the 
city,  and  hence  will  be  frowned  upon.  Frequently, 
a  group  of  people,  a  civic  club,  or  other  organiza- 


66  TECHNIQUE  OF   SOCIAL  SURVEYS 

tion  will  take  it  upon  itself  to  make  a  survey, 
fearful  of  losing  some  of  the  glory,  which  may  be 
connected  with  the  successful  achievement  of  the 
Survey,  they  attempt  to  carry  on  the  work  alone. 
The  statistics  gathered  and  facts  obtained  may  be 
more  accurate  in  many  cases,  than  if  a  larger 
group  had  been  actively  engaged  in  the  work ;  but, 
the  results  of  the  Survey,  as  expressed  in  an  awak- 
ened Social  Consciousness  of  the  entire  community 
will  be  much  less  than  if  more  were  actively  inter- 
ested, and  consequently,  the  action,  resulting  from 
a  knowledge  of  facts  will  be  less.  (15) 
A.  General  Situation : 

1.  a/  Is  Community  to  be  surveyed  a  political  unit  or 
section   thereof?     b.'   Has   it  a   special   or   general 
charter?     c.'  What  changes  in  the  charters  in  the 
last  twenty-five  years?      (See  A.  1.  a/ — d.') 

2.  What  are  the  requirements  for  voting? 

3.  What  race  or  nationality  has  the  largest  number  of 
voters  ?     Do  they  usually  vote  as  a  practical  unit  ? 

4.  Has  there  been  any  change  in  the  last  twenty-five 
years,  in  nationality  having  the  largest  vote? 

5.  a.'  What  was  the  number,  by  nationality,  of  appli- 
cants for  their  first  naturalization  papers  in  the  last 
five  years  ?     Number  refused  ?     b.'  Number  who  ap- 
plied for  their  second  papers  in  last  five  years  ?     c/ 
Number  naturalized  citizens  who  voted  at  the  last 
National  election? 

6.  What  appears  to  be  the  party  choice  by  National- 
ity?    Is  there  any  special  reason  for  this? 

7.  What  are  the  chief  political  Parties?     What  local 

(15).  See:— Reports  of  the  Chicago  Bureau  of  Public 
Efficiency. 

How  to  start  a  Survey  of  your  Cities  Business  Methods, 

by  W.  H.  Allen,  (Director  of  N.  Y.  Bureau  of  Mun.  Re- 
search). The  Am.  City,  Vol.  8,  P.  253. 

Plans  and  Methods  in  Municipal  Efficiency,  by  B.  M. 
Bastall,  Bulletin  No.  1  to  19  of  the  Milwaukee  Bureau  of 
Economy  and  Efficiency. 

Knowing  One's  Own  Community,  by  Carol  Aronivici.  P. 
12-13. 

American  Civic  Association,  913-14  Union  Trust  Bldg., 
Washington,  D.  C.  The  Newburgh  Survey.  P.  89. 


GROUP  RELATIONSHIP  67 

factions  within  political  parties?     Relative  strength 
of  each  party. 

8.  What  businesses,  social  classes,  moral  or  patriotic, 
motives,  or  specific  interests  are  influential  in  each 
party  ? 

9.  What    other    political    organizations?        Character, 
methods,  and  influence? 

B.  Local  Political  Organization : 

1.  a.'   Frequency  of   local   elections?      b.'   Methods   of 
nominating  and  voting  ?     c/  Form  of  ballot  ? 

2.  a/  What  is  the  type  of  local  municipal  government  ? 
b/  Number  of  elective  officers  ?     c.'  Are  they  elected 
by  wards  or  at  large  ? 

3.  a.'  Are  there  ward  leaders?    b.'  What  is  their  char- 
acter, business,  connection  with  public  works,  public 
offices,  business  connection  with  public  works,  pub- 
lic offices,  political  affiliations?     c/  What  is  the  re- 
sult of  their  efforts  ? 

4.  a.'  What  is  the  power  of  the  mayor?     b.'  What  are 
the  departments  in  local  government?     Make  chart 
showing  lines  of  authorities  in  local  government. 

5.  Number  of  workingmen  or  council?     a.'  Lawyers? 
b.'   Number  of  officials  representing  special  inter- 
ests? 

6.  How   do   the   commissioners   receive   their   appoint- 
ment? 

7.  a.'   Do  the  departments  publish   separate  reports? 
b.'  Form  of  publicity  used  by  departments  ?    c.'  Who 
determines  form? 

C.  Taxes : 

1.  a.'  What  is  the  tax  rate?    b.'  How  is  it  determined? 
Legal  Limit? 

2.  a/  What  is  the  number  of  tax  payers  on  real  estate  ? 
b/  Personal  property?     c.'  Laws  governing  assess- 
ments?    d/  How  does  assessed  valuation  compare 
with  census  valuation? 

3.  a/  Total  amount  of  all  revenue  for  the  last  fiscal 
year  ?    b.'  Total  expenditures  ? 

4.  a.'  Must  city  borrow  money  to  pay  current  expen- 
ses ?    Has  it  reached  borrowing  limit  ? 

5.  a.'  What  is  the  total  indebtedness  of  the  commun- 
ity?    b.'  What  large  improvements  have  been  made 
in  last  five  years  on  borrowed  capital? 

6.  a.'  How  is  city  budget  made  up  ?    b/  Is  there  public 
discussion  of  its  items? 

7.  a.'  What  is  the  method  of  accounting  in  use? 


68  TECHNIQUE   OF   SOCIAL  SURVEYS 

8.  Is  there  a  special  school  tax?     What  is  it?     Has  it 
been  increased  in  the  past  ten  years  ?     Result  ? 

9.  What  is  the  total  amount  appropriated  for  the  fol- 
lowing:      Schools,    sanitation,    health,  streets,  and 
civic  improvements  during  the  past  year  ? 

10.  Make  chart  or  diagram   showing   the   proportional 
amount  used  for  each  of  the  various  public  activities, 
during  past  year,  and  for  a  period  of  years. 

11.  What  taxes  are  paid  by  the  six  highest  taxpayers? 
Which  of  these  are  corporations  ? 

12.  a.'  What  municipal  body  has  power  of  appropriating 
and  distributing  funds?     b.'  Are  requests  upon  the 
budget  made  openly  and  published,  or  privately  to 
the  appropriating  body? 

D.  Legislative  Restrictions  and  Regulations : 

1.  What  is  the  State  law  governing  the  sale  of  liquor? 
How  well  informed  ? 

2.  What  is  the  general  public  attitude  toward  enforce- 
ment of  liquor  law  ?     Toward  violators  ? 

3.  a/  Is  there  local  license  or  no  license?    b.'  Number 
of  Saloons  ?    Any  other  places  where  liquor  is  sold  ? 

4.  Terms  of  granting  and  revoking  licenses? 

5.  a/    Is    there    a    "saloon    limit"    for    schools    and 
churches?     What  are  the  local  regulations?     Are 
they  enforced?     If  not,  why  not? 

6.  Are  baudy  houses  permitted  or  tolerated?     (See  F. 
III.  F.  7.  a/,  b/,  c.') 

7.  a.'  What  legislation  affecting  the  morals  and  health 
of  the  community  at  large  was  passed  by  the  coun- 
cil in  recent  years  ?     b.'  What  provisions  were  made 
for    enforcement?     Are    laws    effective?     If    not, 
wherein  is  there  weakness? 

8.  a.'  What  are  the  state  and  the  city  regulations  of 
labor,  housing  and  industries  ?    b.'  What  is  responsi- 
ble for  their  enforcement?     Are  they  properly  en- 
forced ? 

9.  What  voluntary  activities  in   the   interest  of  com- 
munity betterment  are  there? 

10.     If  results  are  still  unsatisfactory,  what  suggestions 
have  you  for  improving  conditions  in  general? 

E.  Courts : 

1.  a.'  What  are  the  different  courts  in  your  city? 
b.'  Jurisdiction  of  each  ? 

2.  a.'  Are  judges  and  magistrates  appointed  or  elect- 
ed?   b.'  Time?    c.'  Qualifications? 

3.     What   court   controls   drunkenness,   vagrancy,   disor- 


GROUP  RELATIONSHIP  69 

derly  conduct,  non-support? 

4.  What  powers  and  what  options  has  a  judge  in  cases 
arraigned  on  such  charges? 

5.  a.'   Number  of   convictions   in   court   last   year  for 
drunkenness,  vagrancy,  disorderly  conduct,  non-sup- 
port, crimes  against  property,  against  persons  ?     b/ 
Disposition  made  of  them? 

6.  Number  first  offenders? 

7.  a.'  Is  there  adult  probation  ?     b.'  Indeterminate  sen- 
tence ? 

8.  How  long  is   prisoner  detained   before   brought   to 
court? 

9.  Is  there  proper  separation  of  sexes  and  of  first  and 
minor  offenders  at  the  place  of  detention? 

10.     What  was  the  number  of  arrests  and  convictions,  by 

nationalities,  in  the  last  year? 
A  chart  or  diagram  which  graphically  portrays 
the  data  under  questions  5  and  6  is  a  very  effective 
way  of  impressing  certain  weaknesses  of  the  com- 
munity. If  there  is  an  unusually  large  number  of 
any  particular  type,  one  may  look  for  one  of  two 
things,  either  the  officials  are  becoming  more  alert 
along  that  particular  line,  or  there  is  some  local 
cause,  which  is  back  of  the  increase,  and  which 
should  be  remedied  in  order  to  eradicate  the  evil 
at  its  source. 

F.    Juvenile  Courts: 

1.  Are  all  cases  under  sixteen  brought  here?     What  is 
the  maximum  age  limit? 

2.  Does  it  deal  with  dependants,  truants,  and  child  la- 
bor offenders?     Has  juvenile  court  jurisdiction  over 
adults  connected  with  juvenile  offenders  ? 

3.  a.'  Are  any  cases  of  juvenile  delinquents  transferred 
to  the  regular  court  records  ?     If  they  are,  for  what 
reason  ? 

4.  Is  there  separate  detention  home  for  juveniles? 

5.  Is  the  child's  condition  of  life  investigated  and  made 
a   basis   for   judicial    decisions?      Are   full    records 
kept? 

6.  Is  the  juvenile   court   separate,  or   is   it  connected 
with  some  other  court? 

7.  a.'  Where  and  how  are  cases  heard?     b.'  What  dif- 
ference is  made  from  the  ordinary  method  of  pro- 
cedure ? 


70  TECHNIQUE  OF   SOCIAL  SURVEYS 

8.  a.'  Are  there  probation  officers?  Number?  b.'  Are 
they  paid  or  volunteers  ?  Method  of  work  ?  c.'  Are 
any  connected  with  some  private  institution? 

9.  a/  Number  of  delinquents  handled  last  year? 

b.'  Age,  sex,  parentage? 

10.  Number  fined?     Number  put  on  probation?     In  in- 
stitutions ?     Dismissed  ? 

11.  Is  there  any  child  welfare  society? 

12.  Relation  of  any  such  societies  to  the  court? 

13.  What  constitutes  cruelty  to  children?    Neglect? 

14.  For  what  reason  does  a  court  sanction  the  removal 
of  children  from  their  parents  ? 

A  study  of  the  Court  system  has  been  included 
under  the  political  activities  since  the  adminis- 
tration of  Municipal  affairs  is  so  closely  related  to 
the  judicial  system.  It  will  be  found  that  much 
better  and  more  accurate  data  may  usually  be  ob- 
tained in  this  department  of  local  government 
than  in  any  other.  In  fact,  it  may  not  be  possi- 
ble in  all  cases  to  secure  accurate  information  on 
the  various  questions  suggested,  and  it  will  prob- 
ably be  found,  especially  in  smaller  cities  that  the 
records  are  so  loosely  kept  and  such  unbusiness- 
like methods  are  followed  by  the  City  officials, 
that  very  little  more  can  be  done  than  to  reveal 
the  absolute  lack  of  efficiency  and  method. 


GROUP  RELATIONSHIP  71 

II.     Ameliorative  Reformative  and  Punitive: 

In  every  community,  there  are  numerous  organ- 
izations which  have  for  their  purpose  the  ame- 
lioration of  the  social  ills  of  the  group  in  which 
they  are  located.  While  the  benefits  of  these  var- 
ious bodies  cannot  be  overestimated,  there  is  often 
a  woeful  lack  of  efficiency  in  carrying  on  their  ac- 
tivities. One  of  the  reasons  most  frequently  met 
which  is  a  very  important  factor  in  causing  this 
inefficient  work,  is  in  their  lack  of  co-operation. 
Likewise,  there  are  many  poorly  organized  socie- 
ties which  have  for  their  aim  the  elimination  of 
some  specific  social  ill,  but  no  consideration  is 
taken  of  the  relationship  to  other  evils  or  to  the 
general  life  of  the  community.  As  a  result  of  this 
the  remedies  advocated  are  frequently  nothing 
better  than  makeshifts,  and  are  applied  to  the  ef- 
fects, rather  than  to  the  causes  of  the  evil. 

A.     Child  Care : 

1.  Number  of  children  from  this  locality  cared  for  last 
year  by  institutional  agencies?       By    placing    out 
agencies?     Other  agencies? 

2.  What  was  the  cost  to  public  funds?       To  private 
funds  ? 

3.  Total  number  of  children  from  this  and  other  com- 
munities cared  for  in  local  institutions  or  by  local 
agencies  during  past  year? 

4.  a.'  Number  of  children  from  this  locality  admitted 
by  institutions,  public  or  private,  for  feeble  minded, 
crippled,  abandoned,  or  orphaned  children?     b.'  Are 
institutions  adequate  for  needs  ?     If  not,  wherein  do 
they  fail?     c/  Conditions  for  admission  to  each  in- 
stitution ? 

5.  a.'  What  is  the  cost  of  maintenance  of  each  insti- 
tution?    b/  Under  what  auspices  is  it  carried  on? 
c/  Number  of  inmates  in  each?     d.'  Type  of  care 
given  ? 

6.  a.'  Number  discharged  from  each  institution  in  the 
last  five  years,   who    have   become    self  supporting  ? 
b.'  Number  who  were  followed  up  after  discharge? 

7.  a/  Are  children  placed  out  in  families  ?     b/  Where 
children  are  placed  out,  how  is  the  family  chosen  and 


72  TECHNIQUE  OF   SOCIAL  SURVEYS 

what  control  is  had  over  family  afterwards? 

8.  What  control  does  the  state  have  over  each  institu- 
tion?    How  effectively  carried  out? 

9.  What  methods  of  inspection  and  control  are  carried 
on?     See  also  questions  under  Juvenile  Courts;  Edu- 
cation; Recreation;  Domestic  Life. 

The  above  mentioned  field  of  investigation  will 
require  great  care  and  endless  tact,  since  some  of 
the  most  flagrant  cases  are  deliberately  violating 
the  law  and  hence  are  using  infinite  care  in  keep- 
ing their  activities  covered.  The  writer  once  be- 
gan an  investigation  of  certain  Baby  Boarding 
Homes.  In  them  were  found  children  from  cities 
two  and  three  hundred  miles  distant.  Positively 
no  records  of  any  kind  were  kept  as  to  from  whom 
the  child  was  received  or  where  it  was  placed. 
One  manager  thought  that  she  might  be  able  to 
tell  the  number  of  children  she  received  in  a  year 
by  consulting  her  bank  book.  One  maternity 
home  received  patients,  and  placed  their  children 
for  them.  Before  the  child  was  twenty-four  hours 
old  it  was  passed  on  the  first  baby  boarding  home ; 
from  there  to  a  second ;  and  on  in  some  cases  to  a 
third,  when  the  first  or  second  had  all  the  children 
that  could  be  handled.  There  were  from  five  to 
six  places  which  received  babies  from  this  one 
maternity  home  (where  practically  all  cases  were 
illegitimate)  and  placed  them  out,  wherever  and 
whenever  they  could.  Not  only  was  the  fact  that 
this  indescriminate  and  illegal  method  of  placing 
babies  of  importance,  but  many  of  these  children 
died  from  lack  of  care  before  they  were  placed  out. 
One  woman  cared  for  17  babies  under  two  years 
of  age,  and  another  had  21  children,  with  only  a 
fourteen  year  old  girl  to -help  her. 

Not  only  are  conditions  like  those  mentioned 
found,  but,  very  frequently  institutions  main- 
tained by  well-meaning  people  and  supported  by 
private  subscription  or  religious  bodies,  as  well  as 


GROUP  RELATIONSHIP  73 

public  institutions  are  frequently  so  over-crowded 
and  poorly  equipped  that  they  become  a  positive 
menace.  One  private  institution  visited  had  beds 
for  35  children,  but  58  were  in  the  institution,  and 
at  the  time  the  visit  was  made,  30  of  them  had 
chicken-pox,  and  were  crowded  into  inadequate 
dormitories,  often  two  children  in  a  single  cot. 
B.  Charities : 

1.  a.'  Is  there  an  organized  charity  association?  Num- 
ber of  paid  workers?     Have  they  received   special 
training?     b.'  Is  aid  given  from  society's  funds,  or 
is  outside  help  interested  in  each  case  ?    To  what  ex- 
tent is  aid  received  from  outside  sources? 

2.  Is  the  organization  in  reality  an  associated  charity 
organization,  or  is  it  just  one  of  several? 

In  one  town  there  was  an  organization  called 
"Associated  Charities,"  while  almost  every  church 
and  four  other  organizations  did  charity  work  in- 
dependently. One  family  was  aided  by  four  sep- 
arate groups,  and  in  another  case  the  "Associated 
Charity"  and  a  church  Charity  Organization  be- 
came bitter  enemies  because  each  claimed  a  fam- 
ily. The  facts  in  the  case  were,  that  one  organiza- 
tion was  giving  aid  to  the  parents,  and  the  other 
was  especially  interested  in  the  children. 

3.  a.'  Are  records  fully  kept?     Methods?     b/  Is  there 
a  confidential  exchange  with  other  agencies?     Num- 
ber consulted? 

4.  Number  of  persons  and  kind  of  assistance  given  in 
addition  to  that  of  paid  workers  ? 

5.  a. 'What   is   the   number   of   independent  benevolent 
organizations?     Under  what  auspices?     Sources  of 
income  ? 

6.  a.'  Do  any  of  them  receive  state  aid?  If  so,  amount 
received?      Under  what   conditions?      b.'   Does   the 
state  have  full  control  in  compelling  them  to  live  up 
to  state  regulations  for  such  institutions?     Is  au- 
thority enforced? 

7.  a/  Is  relief  given  to  certain  classes  only?     b.'  On 
what  principles  is  it  given  or  withheld? 

8.  a.'  Amount  of  money  used  last  year?     Number  re- 
lieved?    Records  kept?      b.'  Is  there  any  formal  or 
informal  exchange  of  information  between  these  pri- 


74  TECHNIQUE   OF   SOCIAL  SURVEYS 

vate  agencies? 

9.  a.'  Number  of  inmates  in  Almshouse,  last  year? 
Cost  of  maintenance?  b.'  Are  there  any  restric- 
tion concerning  admission  or  release?  Is  record 
kept  of  repeaters?  c.'  Are  there  any  feeble-minded 
or  insane  inmates  ?  d.'  Are  children  admitted  ?  Un- 
der what  conditions  kept  there?  e.'  Is  there  a  hos- 
pital ward  for  chronic  cases  ? 

10.  Is  there  a  home  for  the  aged,  outside  of  almshouse  ? 

11.  Number  of  inmates?     Terms  of  admission? 

12.  a/  Are    efforts    made    to    determine    fundamental 
causes  of  poverty  and  prevent  them?        b.'  What 
seem  to  be  the  chief  causes  of  poverty? 

C.  Outdoor  Relief:  . 

1.  Is  there  public  outdoor  relief?        By  municipality, 
county  or  both? 

2.  How  is  the  overseer  appointed  in  each  ?    Duties,  sal- 
ary, etc. 

3.  a.'  What  is  the  annual  appropriation  ?     b.'  By  whom 
made  ?     Basis  ? 

4.  a/  Is  home  of  each  applicant  visited?     b.'  Are  ref- 
erences outside  of  family  regularly  consulted  ?   What 
is  the  standard  of  need  and  relief?     Is  there  a  diet 
standard;  a  housing  standard  for  families  aided? 

5.  a/  What  is  the  number  of  families  and  of  individuals 
receiving  aid  last  year?       b.'  Age,  Sex,  Nativity? 
c.'  Occupation  of  the  head  of  each  family  affected? 

D.  Homeless  Men. 

In  some  communities  the  problem  of  homeless 
men  is  very  large  in  proportion  to  the  community. 
The  old  method  of  passing  them  on  to  the  next 
community  is  still  followed  in  some  parts  of  the 
country;  while  in  other  parts,  they  are  confined 
to  the  town  lockup,  which  neither  helps  the  situa- 
tion nor  the  men.  In  some  cities  the  problem  of 
handling  men  going  from  house  to  house  begging, 
had  been  met  by  the  associated  charities  which 
gives  out  meal  tickets  redeemable  at  the  charities 
office.  When  a  person  is  approached  for  food  or 
money  for  lodging,  the  man  is  given  a  ticket, 
which  he  can  take  to  the  office.  Careful  records 
are  kept  there,  and  it  has  usually  proven  to  be  a 


GROUP  RELATIONSHIP  75 

very  satisfactory  method. 

1.  a.'  Is  there  adequate  provision  for  care  of  homeless 
men?     b.'  Are  homeless  men  generally  referred  to 
an  organized  charity  society?    If  so,  what  method  is 
followed  ?   c.'  Is  there  a  municipal  home  with  proper 
work  test,  or  is  the  police  station  used  as  a  lodging 
house  ? 

2.  a.'  Is  there  any  real  attempt  made  to  get  work  for 
the  men  ?       b.'  Is  there  any  regular  work  for  va- 
grants or  homeless  men?     Is  there  a  farm  colony? 
Condition  prevailing  there?     c/  Does  method  used 
tend  to  reform  or  re-establish  those  dealt  with  ?  Does 
it  lessen  vagrancy? 

E.  Defectives : 

1.  a.'  Is  admission  to  proper  and  separate  institutions 
secured  for  deaf;  blind;    epileptic;    feeble-minded; 
and  insane  individuals?     b.'    Are  there  institutions 
for  the  care  of  these  classes  in  community?     c.'  Is 
there  adequate  provision  for  all  those  needing  care  ? 

2.  Is  there  separate  treatment  for  inebriates? 

3.  a.'  Do  individuals  in  the  incipient  stages  of  mental 
or  nervous  diseases  receive    expert    clinical    treat- 
ment ?    b.'  Is  there  any  agency  which  takes  over  the 
after  care  of  patients  discharged  from  insane  hospi- 
tals?    c.'  What  effort  is  made  to  make  defectives 
partly  self-supporting? 

4.  a.'  Number  and  kinds  of  hospitals  in  community? 
b.'  Number  of  free  beds?  Classes  of  cases  admitted? 
Sources  of  support  ?     c.'  Amount  of  state,  county  or 
city  subsidy  of  subscription? 

5.  a.'  Is  there  a  convalescent  home?     b/  Are  patients 
of  public  institutions  "followed  up"  after  discharge 
by  welfare  agent? 

6.  Diseases  treated  in  dispensaries?     Number  of  each 
kind? 

7.  Does  any  organization  provide  visiting  nurses  ? 

8.  What  provisions  are  made  for  the  care  and  preven- 
tion of  tuberculosis?     For  incipient  cases?      Con- 
valescents ?     Incurables  ? 

9.  Are  there  any  fresh  air  schools  or  day  camps  ? 

10.     Are  there  any    diseases,    or    defective    classes    for 
which  no  provision  is  made  ? 

F.  Other  Welfare  Agencies: 

1.  a.'  Give  number  and  name  of  the  fraternal  orders  in 
community,  b/  What  charitable  work  does  any  of 
them  do  outside  of  own  membership? 


76     .        TECHNIQUE   OF   SOCIAL  SURVEYS 

2.  a.'  Women's  Clubs?     Number?     Object?     Member- 
ship?    b.'  Which    of   these  is  doing  some    form  of 
Social  work? 

3.  a.'  What  is  number  and  character  of  Business  Men's 
clubs,  commerce  associations,  etc.?     b.'  Do  they  co- 
operate   for    improvement    in    housing    conditions, 
police    administration,    sanitation  and  other  move- 
ments for  General  Community  improvement,  or  are 
their  activities  confined  to  the  narrower  aspects  of 
the  specific  interest  of  members? 

4.  What  part  does  the  ministerial  association  take  in 
civic  and  welfare  movements? 

5.  In  as  far  as  the  following  concern  themselves  with 
welfare  work  (aside  from  definite  work  in  education, 
recreation,  industry    and    religion)    give  details   of 
each:— a.'  Settlements;  b/  Y.  M.  C.  A.;  c.'  Y.  W.  C. 
A.;  d.'  Trade  Unions;  e.'  Labor  Unions;  f.'  Employ- 
ers' Union;  g.'  Boys'  and  Girls'  clubs;  h.'  Churches? 

6.  Is  there  any  institution  which  gets  in  touch  with 
prisoners  before  and  after  release  ? 

7.  a.'  Give  number  of  industrial  establishments  main- 
taining a  lunch  room,  baths,  a  meeting  room,  club 
room,  playground,  or  settlement  house,  or  a  Social 
Secretary  for  girls  ?     b.'  Do  any  of  them  maintain 
any  kind  of  a  welfare  agency?     Character  of  each 
of  these? 

8.  Is  there  a  pension  fund  connected  with  any  of  the 
industrial  establishments  ?  What  are  the  conditions  ? 
Is  free  medical  aid  given  ?    Any  other  benefits  ? 

9.  What  is  the  amount  paid  victims   of  accidents  by 
manufacturers,  insurance  societies,  charity  organiza- 
tions,  lodges,   mutual   aids,    etc.,   in   the   last   two 
years  ? 

10.     What    movements   for  public  betterment  and   social 
service  are  needed  in  the  community? 


GROUP  RELATIONSHIP 


77 


dij 

III! 


»U 

l! 
££ 


I' 


j  g 

3 


If? 
i-3l 


1 


i  j  I* 


§  & 


-     *     g!  ± 

2  £  -ai 


g 


£  I 


1   s^S  I  1 


H  till i  i 

!  !  llSs  1  i 


S    1    la 
a   a   S 


I 


I 


I! 

•S    2    I 


l|f 

M-i 

I   §  ~ 
I   "  I 

S    ^     g 

I 


§  * 


0?        d 


78  TECHNIQUE  OF   SOCIAL  SURVEYS 

CRIME  AND  ITS  TREATMENT. 
The  subject  of  crime  and  its  treatment  has  re- 
ceived much  scientific  study  during  the  past  two 
decades.  While  crime  has  always  been  looked 
upon  as  an  abnormal  condition  of  society,  as  anti- 
social, the  offender  of  social  rules  and  regulations 
is  no  longer  looked  upon  as  being  inherently  vi- 
cious, but  rather  as  a  victim  of  causes,  such  as 
heredity,  environment  and  ignorance  which  have 
united  in  causing  the  crime.  This  new  attitude 
toward  crime  has  brought  about  a  change  in  the 
manner  of  dealing  with  offenders,  which  is  not 
less  firm  and  exacting  with  regard  to  his  perform- 
ance of  duties,  but,  is  represented  by  a  different 
attitude  toward  the  offender.  The  first  method 
of  dealing  with  offenders  was  retribution,  or  ven- 
geance, but  with  the  growth  of  civilization  the  at- 
titude became  one  of  deterrance  or  repression. 
The  present  attitude  tends  toward  reformation 
and  prevention.  This  change  in  type  of  punish- 
ment has  been  greatly  influenced  by : — 

1.  The  great  industrial  development  which  has 
caused  a  greater  interdependence  and  conse- 
quently a  better  understanding  of  people  liv- 
ing in  different  planes  of  society ; 

2.  Republican  ideas  of  liberty  advanced  by  Mon- 
tesquieu, Rosseau  and  Locke. 

3.  New  notions  of  the  cause  of  crime  were  de- 
veloped. 

4.  Change  in  the  attitude  of  religion  toward 
crime. 

5.  A  new  classification  of  society  opening  the 
way  for  an  equity  of  administering  the  law. 

Sources  of -data: 

1.  Examination  of  the  original  records  of  con- 
victions for  juvenile,  police,  county  and  su- 
preme courts. 

2.  Inquiry  and  discussion  with  judges,   court 


GROUP  RELATIONSHIP  79 

officials,  probation  and  police  officers. 

3.  Examination  of  evidence  as  to  truancy.     (See 
Education.) 

4.  Personal    investigation    for    verification    of 
records  and  reports. 

5.  Make  map  of  district  showing  distribution  of 
offenders,  juvenile  and  adult,  location  of  sa- 
loons, places  of  public  and  commercialized 
recreation.     (16). 

a.  Juvenile    Delinquency:      (See    also    Juvenile 
Courts.) 

1.  a.  Offences  for  which  juveniles  were  charged  during 
past  year?     Number  of  each?     b.'  Give  locality  and 
surroundings  where  juvenile  delinquencies  are  most 
prevalent  ? 

2.  a.'  What  per  cent  of  delinquents  are  first  offenders  ? 
b.'  Repeaters?     c.'  Boys?     d.'   Girls?     e.'  Number 
at  each  age? 

3.  a.'  Does  there  seem  to  be  any  relation  between  ju- 
venile delinquency  and  lack  of  playgrounds  or  other 
adequate  means  of  recreation  ?     Give  basis  for  ap- 
parent reason?     b.'  Lack  of  proper  supervision  of 
schools,  playgrounds,  etc.  ?   c.'  Congestion  ?  d.'  What 
is  the  physical  condition    (of    juvenile    offenders)  ? 
Their  mental  conditions  ? 

4.  a.'  What  per  cent  have  both  parents  living?  b.'  Per 
cent   having    mothers    only?      c.'   Per   cent   having 
father  only?     d.'  Per  cent  having  neither?     e.'  Per 

(16)     Is  Crime  Increasing? 

See,  Criminal  Statistics  of  the  United  States;  Robinson 
"Investigation  and  Crime;"  Hourwich,  Am.  Jour.  Soc. 
1812;  The  Criminal,  Havelock  Ellis,  p.  369;  Crime  and 
Social  Progress,  Hall,  Chap.  I;  Responsibility  for  Crime, 
Parsons. 

Classification  of  Criminals: 

Criminal  Man,  Lombroso;  The  Criminal,  Ellis,  Ch.  I;  De- 
pendents, Defectives  and  Delinquents,  C.  R.  Henderson,  P. 
219;  See  also,  Punishment  and  Reformation,  P.  H.  Wines; 
Parmalee;  Authopology  and  in  relation  to  criminal  proce- 
dure; Correction  and  Prevention,  Henderson,  C.  R.;  The 
Young  Malefactor,  Trairs;  Criminology,  Garofalo;  Penal 
Philosophy,  Tarde;  Making  the  Criminal,  Russell  and 
Riaby. 


80  TECHNIQUE  OF   SOCIAL  SURVEYS 

cent  illegitimate  ?     f .'  Per  cent  parents  divorced  ? 

5.  What  are  the  general  conditions  of  their  homes? 

6.  a.'  Number  where  father  or  head  of  household  has 
regular  employment?     b.'   Skilled?     c.'  Unskilled? 

7.  a.'  Are  children  employed  in  the  street  trades?     b.' 
Character  of  the  trades?     c.'  Number  employed  in 
each,  by  age,  sex,  and  nationality?     d.'  What  legal 
restrictions  are  there?     e.'  Are  they  enforced? 

8.  Are  children  ever  allowed  to  work  at  night  in  fac- 
tories or  street  trades?     To  what  extent?     Under 
what  conditions? 

9.  a.'  Are  children  under  fifteen  allowed  to  work  with 
adults   of   opposite   sex'?      b.'   What   supervision   is 
there  of  such  places  ? 

10.  a.'  Is  the  sale  of  liquor  and  tobacco  to  minors  under 
police  control?     b.'  Is  it  enforced? 

11.  a.'  Is  obscene  literature  circulated?     b.'  Where  ob- 
tained?    c.'  Do  police  attempt  to  control  such  sale? 

12.  a.'  What  is  needed  to  improve  conditions  ?     b.'  What 
efforts  are  being  made? 

b.  Adult  Crime : 

1.  a/  Crimes  and    misdemeanors    for    which    persons 
were  convicted?    Annual  number  convicted  for  each 
class?  b/  Age?  c.'  Sex?     d.'  Parentage? 

2.  Number  convictions  for  each  1,000  population? 

3.  Number  and  conviction  of  Municipal,  Police,  or  City 
lock-ups?     Number  inmates  in  each?     Conditions  of 
cells?    Ventilation?    Is  there  over  crowding?    Medi- 
cal attention  given?     Is  work  provided  for  prison- 


ers 


4.  Number  of  inmates  in  County  Jail?  What  attention 
is  given  to  the  care  of  convicted  persons  ?     Are  con- 
victed and  unconvicted  persons  kept  together  ?    Con- 
dition of  Cells?     Work  provided?     Is  any  kind  of 
instruction  given? 

5.  Is  there  a  State  Prison  or  Reformatory  in  Commu- 
nity?    What  influence  has  it  on  community? 

6.  a.'  Are  parole  and  indeterminate  sentence  in  use? 
b/  Under   what   conditions    applied?     c.'  Are  there 
probation  officers?     d/  Numbers?     e/  Time  devoted 
to   work?     f.'   Number   probationers   cared  for  by 
each?     g.'   Do   drunks  and  prostitutes  receive  the 
special  care  they  need,  when  in  jail? 

7.  What  proportion  of  drunks  and  prostitutes  arrested 
during  past  has  been  arrested  on  same  charge  be- 
fore?    Number  of  times? 

8.  Are  there  fines  or  jail  sentences  for  prostitutes  ? 


GROUP  RELATIONSHIP  81 

9.     a.'  Are  professional  bondsmen  allowed  to  operate  in 

court?     b.'  What  are  their  methods? 
State  Institutions : 

1.  a/   Are   prisoners   taught   a   trade  while   confined? 
b/  Is  it  one  which  will  be  of  service  when  they  are 
released? 

2.  a.'    Is   contract   or   lease    system    used?      b.'   What 
goods  are  manufactured?     c/  What  pay  is  received 
for  each  prisoner? 

3.  a.'   Is   the   institution   self-supporting,    if   not,   cost 
to  community?     b.'  What  amount  is  received  from 
the  contractors? 

4.  a.'  Do  the  prisoners  receive  a  share  in  the  profits? 
b.'  How  much?    c.'  If  not,  how  much  money  are  they 
given  on  their  release  ? 

5.  Is  any  effort  made  to  secure  employment  for  dis- 
charged prisoners? 

6.  Do  dependent  families  of  prisoners  receive  state  aid 
while  prisoner  is  in  confinement?     If  not,  has  con- 
finement of  prisoners  caused  much  suffering  to  any 
families,  by  cutting  off  their  income  ? 

7.  What  is  the  total  cost  for  the  maintenance  of  police, 
courts,  and  prisoners,  as  well  as  the  loss  through 
the  crimes  committed? 

8.  Is  expense  of  detecting  and  convicting  equalled  or 
excelled  by  amount  expended  in  creating  conditions 
which  will  lessen  crime? 

In  many  sections  of  our  country  the  handling 
of  criminals  is  still  in  a  very  primitive  and 
wasteful  stage.  In  many  city  jails  no  record  is 
kept  of  residence  of  prisoners,  hence  it  is  impos- 
sible to  tell  whether  the  cases  are  transients,  visi- 
tors or  citizens.  Often  no  record  is  kept  of  first 
offenders,  as  it  is  deemed  unimportant  by  some 
officials.  However,  unless,  very  complete  records 
are  kept  in  regard  to  such  matters,  there  is  little 
that  can  be  done  to  remedy  conditions. 

If  there  is  an  unusually  large  percentage  of  first 
offenders,  there  is  probably  some  local  cause 
which  may  be  removed,  or,  on  the  other  hand,  if 
there  are  persons  who  persist  in  committing  petty 
offenses,  it  can  be  seen  that  the  "usual  fine"  or  jail 
sentence  does  not  suffice.  For  example:  readers 


82  TECHNIQUE  OF   SOCIAL   SURVEYS 

of  newspapers  will  recognize  the  following,  which 

appears  again  and  again : —  " arrested  by 

at  11 :40  Monday  night  for  soliciting  pleaded 

guilty  to  that  charge  when  arraigned  yesterday 
morning  and  was  fined  $10,  which  she  paid  and 

was  released" ;  or  " was  arrested  last  night 

on  a  charge  of  disorderly  conduct.  Being  unable 
to  pay  the  fine,  he  was  given  the  'usual  sentence/  ' 
This  same  thing  occurs  again  and  again,  with  the 
same  individuals,  thus  seemingly  indicating  that 
the  "usual  sentence"  is  rather  ineffective.  Is  it 
not  worth  trying  to  put  some  of  these  habitual 
offenders  on  probation,  since  this  continual  arrest, 
fine  or  jail  sentence  and  release,  to  be  arrested 
again,  is  evidently  ineffective? 

Frequently  city  jails  are  in  a  most  deplorable 
condition.  No  one  takes  any  interest  in  the  jail 
and  as  a  result  it  is  one  of  the  last  municipal 
buildings  to  be  improved.  The  following  which  is 
a  clipping  from  a  report  by  the  writer  is  typical 
of  conditions  found  throughout  the  country,  with 
the  exception  that  often  there  are  only  two  or 
three  prisoners  instead  of  the  larger  number : 

"How  many  people  have  ever  seen  their  City 
Jail?  Surely  but  a  very  small  number,  or  our 
present  place  of  detention  would  long  since  have 
ceased  to  exist.  The  number  of  inmates  in  the  city 
jail  varies.  There  have  been  very  few  days  dur- 
ing the  past  year  when  there  has  not  been  one  or 
more  prisoners  locked  up.  At  times  there  have 
been  as  many  as  34  men  in  the  jail  at  one  time. 
There  are  four  small  cells  5x10  and  10  feet  high, 
with  one  cot  and  a  12x12  window,  and  no  toilet 
or  wash  bowl.  In  addition  to  these  there  is  a 
"Bull  Pen",  18x30  feet,  which  has  a  toilet  and 
sink  for  washing  and  two  30x30  windows. 

"The  women's  cells  are  in  a  space  about  10x30 
feet  with  three  or  four  cots,  one  toilet  and  wash 


GROUP  RELATIONSHIP  83 

bowl  and  two  30x30  windows.  This  apartment  is 
separated  from  the  Men's  by  a  heavy  sheet  iron 
partition  which  does  not  extend  entirely  to  the 
ceiling,  thus  making  it  possible  for  conversation 
to  pass  from  one  side  to  the  other.  Last  year  at 
one  time  there  were  seven  women  in  this  room." 

"This  prison,  located' at Avenue  and 

Street,  with  the  office  of  the  police  department, 
City  Scales  and  Associated  Charities,  all  located 
on  the  basement  floor  of  the  City  Hall  is  about  3 
feet  below  the  level  of  the  street.  The  quarters 
are  crowded  and  unsanitary.  No  regular  work  is 
provided  the  prisoners,  hence,  except  for  some 
occasional  work,  as  cutting  weeds,  in  the  summer 
time,  they  sit  in  idleness." 

While  considerable  progress  has  been  made 
with  regard  to  state  penitentiaries,  as  a  rule,  the 
county  jails  and  city  lock-ups  are  a  disgrace  to  the 
community.  Too  often  they  are  filthy  disease 
breeding  institutions,  where  prisoners  sit  in  idle- 
ness and  on  being  turned  back  upon  society  are 
worse  physically,  mentally  and  morally  than  when 
incarcerated.  Not  until  the  situation  is  fairly  in- 
vestigated in  each  community,  and  the  rank  and 
file  of  the  people  are  made  to  realize  the  absurdity 
of  the  situation  as  it  exists  in  the  majority  of 
cases,  can  we  hope  for  any  extensive  change  in  the 
situation  as  a  whole ;  but  individual  local  commu- 
nities will  make  some  changes  when  their  atten- 
tion is  directed  to  the  most  pressing  needs. 


84  TECHNIQUE  OF   SOCIAL  SURVEYS 

III.  Recreation  and  Amusements: 

A  recreation  survey  must  take  into  considera- 
tion not  merely  the  existing  forms  of  recreation 
offered,  and  the  opportunities  for  development 
along  other  lines;  but  like  a  survey  of  every 
other  form  of  activity,  it  should  seek  out  the  possi- 
bilities and  resources  offered  which  are  now  neg- 
lected. In  many  cities  the  problem  of  recreation 
was  hardly  considered  until  recently.  As  a  result, 
the  city  has  grown  up  in  a  compact  mass  with  no 
provision  for  playgrounds.  Parks  may  be  pro- 
vided, but  often  these  are  at  such  a  great  dis- 
tance from  the  most  thickly  populated  sections  of 
the  city,  that  it  is  possible  for  only  a  small  propor- 
tion of  the  inhabitants  to  patronize  them.  Even 
in  some  small  cities,  many  schools  are  without 
playgrounds,  and  where  they  are  provided  for 
they  are  without  any  equipment  or  supervision. 
Some  cities  which  had  adequate  space  for  play- 
grounds when  city  was  small,  failed  to  take  ad- 
vantage of  it,  or  as  was  the  case  in  one  rapidly 
growing  city,  part  of  the  school  grounds  were  sold 
for  commercial  and  residential  purposes,  so  that 
there  was  just  enough  room  forAe  original  build- 
ing, and  when  an  addition  was  built,  the  land  had 
to  be  repurchased.  /Often  the  city  park  is  per- 
mitted to  take  on  an  unkempt  appearance,  has  no 
equipment,  and  even  though  located  in  the  center 
of  the  city  is  unlighted  and  requires  a  policeman 
to  keep  people  out  of  it  in  the  evening.]  In  addi- 
tion to  the  outdoor  recreation  places,  both  free 
and  commercialized,  are  the  indoor  amusements. 
The  dangers  attending  some  of  these  are  far  great- 
er than  y^ose  attending  outdoor  amusements,  and 
the  need  of  careful  supervision  is  correspondingly 
greater,  though  often  the  attention  given  is  much 
less.  (17.) 

The  questions  given  below  are  necessarily  only 


GROUP  RELATIONSHIP  85 

x  suggestive,  and  the  investigator  will  need  to  ex- 
tend any  of  the  suggested  lines  of  inquiry  as  the 
local  situation  demands. 

a.  General  Situation : 

1.     a/  What  are  the  principal  recreations  that  engage 
the  leisure  of  the  population  of  your  community  ? 
b.'  Which  of  these  are  commercialized? 
c.'  What  agencies  are  there  which  provide  recrea- 
tion for  young  people  without  profits? 
d.'-  For  workingmen  ? 
e.'  For  working  women? 

f .'  What  is  the  cost  of  such  recreations   and   amuse- 
ments ? 

g.'  How  are  necessary  funds  secured? 
h.'  Are  these  advantages  made  use  of  by  the  ma- 
jority of  those  for  whom  they  are  intended? 

b.  Playgrounds: 

1.  a.'  What  regular  playgrounds  are  there? 
b.'  Area? 

c.'  Amount  of  supervision? 

d.'  By  whom  maintained? 

e.'  Estimated  number  using  them? 

2.  a.'  Extent   that    unimproved    lots    serve    as    play- 

grounds ? 
•    b.'  What   use   is   made   of   the   streets   for   playing 

ball,   roller   skating,   coasting,  etc.? 
c.'  Attitude  of  the  police  regarding  use  of  streets  ? 
d.'  Are  streets  used  by  children  dangerous? 
e.'  'What  per  cent  of  people  have  no  other  place  for 

recreation,  than  streets  in  vicinity  of  homes? 

3.  a.'  Are  schools  provided  with  playgrounds? 

b.'  Can  they  be  used  in  summer  and  after  school 

hours  ? 

c/  Are  they  supervised? 

d/  Are  games  part  of  the  work  of  public  schools? 
e/  Have   moving   pictures,   dramatic    performances, 

etc.,  been  introduced  into  the  public  schools? 

4.  a.'  What  free  park  facilities  are  provided  by  public 

or  private  agencies,  or  both? 

b/  Cost  of  maintenance  ? 

c.'  Amount  of  supervision?     Equipment? 

d.'  Are  they  located  where  needed? 

e.'  Fare  from  congested  districts  ? 

f.'  What  is  the  general  moral  standing  of  the  vari- 
ous parks? 

g.'  Are   there    free    concerts    held    in    parks,    play- 


8C  TECHNIQUE   OF   SOCIAL  SURVEYS 

grounds,  and  schools  ? 

h.'  What  is  average  number  of  children  using  parks  ? 

i.'  Average  attendance  of  persons  using  the  parks 

at  the  various  seasons  of  year? 
5.     a.'  What  commercial  amusements  are  there  ? 

b/  Where  located?     Price  of  admission? 

c.'  Do  they  have  a  desirable  influence  on  patrons  ? 

d/  Do  they  have  beer  gardens  and  dance  halls  con- 
nected with  them? 

c.  Athletics: 

1.  a.'  What  athletic  fields  are  there  in  the  community? 

Games  played? 
b.'  Public  or  private? 
c.'  Nature,  extent? 
d.'  How  controlled? 

e.'  What  proportion  of  the  people  may  use  them  ? 
f.'  Are  the  fields  used  by  the  public  open  every  day 

in  the  week? 
g.'  If  not,  what  is  the  reason? 

2.  What    are    the    gymnasium    facilities   in  the  com- 

munity ? 

a.'  Free  to  public,  location,  class  using  them? 

b.'  Open  to  public  for  fee,  location,  amount  of  fee  ? 

c.'  Open  to  members  only,  class  admitted  to  mem- 
bership, dues  ? 

3.  a/  Give  number  and  type  of  pool  and  billiard  halls, 

bowling  alleys,  skating  rinks,  etc.,  in  the  com- 
munity ? 
b.'  Is  intoxicating  liquor  sold  in  connection  with  any 

of  these  places. 

5.     By  what  element  of  the  population  is  each  one  pat- 
ronized ? 

d.  Dance  Halls  and  Theatres : 

1.  a.'  Give  number  of  dance  halls  in  community, 
b.'  By  whom  controlled  ? 

c.'  Are  they  run  under  police  supervision? 

d.'  Is  liquor  sold  in  connection  with  any  of  them  ? 

e.'  General  moral  standard? 

2.  a.'  Do   any   clubs,   organizations,   etc.,   give   dances 

which  are  open  to  the  public  at  stated  intervals  ? 
b/  What  is  the  character  of  these? 
c.'  Class  of  population  which  patronizes  them  ? 

3.  Give  number  of  theatres: 

a.'  Where  regular  drama  is  played? 

b.'  Vaudeville  houses? 

c.'  Burlesque  houses? 

d/  Moving  picture  shows  ? 


GROUP  RELATIONSHIP  87 

4.  a.'  What  is  the  capacity  of  each? 

b.'  Average  weekly  attendance  of  each  ? 

c.'  Class  of  patrons  received  by  each? 

d.'  Most  popular  type  of  entertainment  offered,  and 

the  moral  influence  of  each  of  the  above? 
e/  What  remedies  would  you  offer  any  or  each  of 

them? 

5.  a.'  What   are   the   state   laws    and   city   ordinances 

governing  play  houses  and  dance  halls? 
b.'  Who  is  responsible  for  their  enforcement? 
c.'  Are  they  properly  enforced? 
e.  Entertainments  and  Clubs? 

1.  a/  Are  there  any  public  lecture  courses  given? 
b.'  By  what  organizations? 

c.'  Character? 

d/  How  attended? 

2.  a.'  Are  there  any  regular  public  concerts  given  in 

community  ? 

b.'  Under  whose  auspices? 
c/  What  type  of  concert  is  most  patronized? 
d.'  Does  music  play  an  important  part  as  means  of 

recreation  in  the  community? 
e.'  Are  there  any  local  musical  organizations? 

Type  of  work  done?     Membership? 

3.  a.'  Are   there   any  local   dramatic   clubs? 

b.'  What  kinds  of  productions  are  selected  most  fre- 
quently for  public  entertainments  ? 
c/  Membership  of  such  clubs? 

4.  a.'  Are  there  any  boys  and  girls  clubs? 

b.'  In  connection  with  Settlements?  With  Libra- 
ries? With  Institutional  Churches?  Number? 
Membership?  Average  Attendance  of  each? 

c.'  Is  the  object  of  the  various  clubs  anything  be- 
sides being  purely  recreational  and  entertaining  ? 

d.'  Under  what  auspices  is  club  carried  on  ? 

e.'  Requirements  for  admission  ? 

5.  What  clubs  are  for  young  men  and  young  women  ? 
b/  Number? 

c.'  Membership? 

d.'  Character  of  club  ? 

e/  Requirements  for  admission? 

6.  What  seems  to  be  the  most  popular  recreation  of 

the  various  clubs. 

7.  What  is  most  popular  recreation  of  young  people 

of  community? 

8.  What    particular    amusements    and    entertainments 

are    approved    and    which    condemned    by    the 


88  TECHNIQUE  OF   SOCIAL  SURVEYS 

churches  ? 

How  do  the  denominational  standards  differ? 

f.  Saloons: 

1.  a.'  Is  community  license  or  no  license  territory? 
b.'  If  license,  ratio  number  of  saloons  to  population  ? 
c.'  Method  of  obtaining  license? 

2.  Are  saloons  located  in  resident,  tenement,  or  fac- 

tory districts  ? 

3.  a.'  Are  rooms  rented  in  connection  with  saloons? 

b.'  Are  women  or  children  allowed  to  enter  saloons 
without  restrictions  ? 

4.  a.'  To   what    other   regulations     are     saloons     sub- 

jected? 

b/  How  and  by  whom    are    regulations    concerning 
saloons  enforced? 

5.  What  is  the  attitude  of  the  various  denominations 

to  the  saloon  and  to  drinking  customs? 

6.  a.'  Are  the  meeting  places  of  labor  unions,  frater- 

nal  orders,   other  societies,   connected  with   sa- 
loons ? 

b.'  Have  they  a  ladies'  parlor? 

c/  Is  there  evidence  of  gambling? 

d.'  By  what  class  are  saloons  chiefly  patronized  ? 

7.  a.'  Are  houses  of  prostitution  allowed  or  tolerated? 

(F  I  d  5.) 
b/  Segregated? 
c/  Is  solicitation  on  the    streets    tolerated    by    the 

police  ? 

g.  Day  of  Rest : 

1.  a/  What  forms  of  business  are  conducted  on  Sun- 

day? 

b/  Any  unnecessary? 
c.'  Number  of  persons  employed  ? 

2.  a.'  What  commercialized  recreation  on  Sunday? 

b/  Is  there  any  eif ort  to  close  places  of  recreation  ? 
Why? 

h.  Summary: 

1.  What  is  the  total  amount  paid  out  by  the  city  for 

recreation,  as   compared  with  the   amount  paid 
out  for  fire  protection,  courts,  and  police?         --x. 

2.  What  proposals  have  you  for  the  improvement  of 

recreation  facilities  in  your  community? 


G.     EDUCATION. 

Education  is  the  one  activity  which  is  univer- 
sally recognized  as  the  most  powerful  agent  in 
molding  the  character  of  the  community.  There 
is  perhaps  more  interest  taken  in  this  phase  of 
the  social  survey  than  in  any  other  single  subject, 
since  there  is  no  other  agency  in  the  community 
which  is  of  such  general  concern,  and  which  touch- 
es so  many  people  in  such  a  direct  and  effective 
rranner. 

Under  the  general  head  "Education,"  we  have 
included  public  schools,  private  schools,  libraries, 
music  and  art,  the  press  and  higher  education. 

I.  Public  Schools : 

In  making  a  study  of  the  public  schools  of  a 
community  general  factors  to  be  considered  are : 

a.  Scope,  dealing  with  the  educational  needs  of 
the  community  from  the  point  of  view  of  the 
number  of  people  trained,  the  extent  to  which 
it  meets  the  needs  of  the  community  and  en- 
forcement of  the  requirements  of  compulsory 
education. 

b.  Administration,  dealing  with  the  character 
and  organization  of  the  administrative  body, 
expense  of  maintenance,  budget  making  and 
accounting  'system  used,  and  general  policy 
of  the  boa^d. 

c.  Efficiency,  dealing  with  the  type  of  work  done 
by  the  schools,  the  facilities  for  handling  the 
number  attending,  medical  inspection,  vaca- 
tion and  evening  schools,  industrial  and  voca- 
tional training  and  general  efficiency  of  the 
teaching  force. 

In  order  to  make  a  really  efficient  educational 
survey,  the  services  of  a  person  familiar  with 


90  TECHNIQUE   OF    SOCIAL   SURVEYS 

school  room  administration  is  necessary.     Much 
of  the  data  will  be  secured  by : 

1.  A  study  of  the  State  school  laws. 

2.  Examination  of  the  character  and  organiza- 
tion of  the  local  administrative  body. 

3.  Special  detailed  reports  of  the  School  census. 

4.  Personal  visits  to  the  public  schools,  inspec- 
tion   of   their   records,    and   questioning    of 
teachers  and  pupils. 

5.  Reports  from  State  Inspector. 

6.  Truant  officer,  and  general  inquiry. 
Reports  of  similar  studies  may  be  obtained  from 

the  Department  of  Surveys  and  Exhibits,  and  the 
Division  of  Education  of  the  Russel  Sage  Foun- 
dation, 130  E.  Twenty-second  Street,  New  York, 
a.     Scope : 

1.  a.'  What  is  the  total  number  of  persons  of  school 

age  in  community? 
b.'  Total  number  in  school? 

2.  a.'  Number  of  children  of  school  age  who  are  out 

of  school  and  at  work? 

b.'  At  what  are  they  chiefly  employed?   (E  II  c) 
c.'  Number   in    school   employed    outside    of    school 

hours  ? 

3.  Total   number   of  illiterates   in  the   community,   by 

age,  sex  and  nationality? 

4.  Number  of  foreign  born  who  can  neither  write  nor 

read  the  English  language? 

5.  a.'  What   number    of    children    leave    school    before 

they  finish  the  fifth,    sixth,    seventh,  and  eighth 
grades  of  school  ? 

b.'  Per  cent  that  finish  the  first,  second,  third  and 
fourth  year  of  high  school. 

6.  What  are  the  state  laws  governing  school  attend- 

ance? 

7.  a/  Is  there  a  truancy  department? 
b.'  How  it  is  maintained  ? 

c.'  Methods  of  work? 
d.'  Has  it  legal  backing? 
e.'  Number  of  officers? 

8.  Do  officers  receive  daily  reports  from  the  schools? 

\9.     Is  a  card  index  of  all  children  of  school  age  kept  in 
order  to  trace  any  who  are  missing  at  the  be- 


EDUCATION  91 

ginning  of  the  school  year  ? 
10.     a.'  What  is  the  number  of  cases   investigated  last 


year 


b.'  Number  taken  to  court? 

c.'  Number  sent  to  truant  school? 

11.  a.'  What  disposition  is  made  of  habitual  truants? 
b.'  Are  parents  ever  fined  for  permitting  truancy? 

12.  Does  officer  visit  and  has  he  power  to  take  into  court 

pupils     who     are     truant     from     the    parochial 
schools  ? 
b.     Administration : 

1.  a.'  Are  members  of  school  committee  appointed  or 

elected  at  large  by  subdivisions?     Number? 
b/  Salary? 
c.'  Term? 

2.  a.'  What  active  committees  and  what  sub-commit- 

tees? 
b/  What  have  they  accomplished? 

3.  a.'  What  is  the  total  expense  of  public  education? 
b/  Whence  is  the  money  derived? 

4.  In  what  proportion  is  the  money  divided  between 

teachers,   salaries,    school  maintenance,   repairs, 
and  construction? 

5.  Is  accounting  up-to-date  and  efficient? 

6.  a.'  Are  books  furnished  free  to  pupils? 

b.'  What  system  of  buying  and  distributing  books 


in  use 


c.     Efficiency : 

1.  a.'  What  is  the  capacity  of  the  different  grades? 
b.'  Number  of  children  in  each? 

2.  a.'  Is  overcrowding  common? 

b.'  What    is    the    average    number    of    pupils    per 

teacher  ? 
c.'  Are  any  ever  rejected  or  unclassified  for  lack  of 

room  ? 
rJT.)  a/  Special   provisions   for    cripples,     feeble-minded, 

backward  and  weakly  children? 
^~     b.'  What  is  the  method  of  commitment? 
(Jj   Are  there  special  classes  for  foreign  children? 
oT    a.'  Is   there  medical   and   dental   inspection   of   the 

schools  ? 

b/  How  often  are  physical  tests  made? 
c.'  Frequency  of  eye  and  ear  tests?     (  D  III). 
d.'  Is  there   moral   instruction   and    supervision    of 

playgrounds  ? 

6.     a.'  What  is  number  of  school  nurses? 
b.'  Number  of  school  visitors? 


92  TECHNIQUE   OF   SOCIAL  SURVEYS 

7.  a.'  Number  of  pupils  who  repeated  their  grade  last 

year? 

b.'  What,  in  opinion  of  superintendent  is  the  cause? 
c.'  What  was  the  per  cent  of  increase  of  cost,  due 

to  repeaters? 

8.  S2S5»'  Are  there  vacation  schools  ? 
c  b7-  Evening  schools  ? 

c.'  How  long  open  each  year? 

&•  Subjects  taught? 

e..'  How  advertised? 

f.'  Are  they  used  by  foreigners? 

9.  a.'  Number  of  kindergartens  in  the  public  schools  ? 
b/  Number  private  kindergartens? 

c.'  Are  kindergartens  maintained  in  the  poorer  dis- 
tricts ? 

10.  a.'  Are     manual     training     and     domestic     science 

taught? 

b.'  In  what  grades? 
c/  Subjects? 
d.'  Are  these  subjects  part  of  the  school  curriculum 

or  optional? 

11.  a.'  What  trades  are  taught? 
b.'  Length  of  courses  ? 

12.  (ja.1  What  industrial  «*  private  schools  are  maintain- 

ed in  the  community  by  either  public  or  private 

organizations  ? 
b.'  Capacity? 

Work  done? 
d.'  Efficiency? 
e.'  Cost  of  maintenance? 
f.'  Source  of  income,  etc.? 
\13.     a.'  Number  of  graduates  who  have  gone  into  local 

industries  in  the  last  ten  years  ? 
b.'  Is  there  any  effort  to  adjust  local  school  to  local 

needs  ? 

14.  a/  What  are   the  requirements   for  teachers?    cer- 

tificates in  each  grade? 
b.'  Salary? 

15.  a/  Are   school    reports    issued   regularly,    and     do 

they  deal  with  distribution  of  expenditures,  ap- 
pointments and  change  of  teachers? 
b.'  Do  they  deal  with  truancy,  school  population, 
number  of  pupils  dropped  from  rolls,  repeaters, 
absences,  and  with  comprehensive  evidence  of 
the  needs  of  the  school  ? 

16.  Are  there  facilities  and  rules  for  reporting  class- 

room conditions? 


EDUCATION  93 

•II.  Private  Schools: 

1.  a.'  Are  there  any  parochial  schools  in  the  commun- 

ity? 

b.'  Number? 
c.'  How  maintained? 
d.'  Capacity? 
e.'  Number  of  pupils? 
f /  Of  teachers  ? 

2.  a.'  Is  the  work  done  the  same  as  that  covered  by 

public  schools? 
b/  Does  the  public  school  inspector  have  jurisdiction 

over  them  ? 
c.'  Is  the  work  of  as  good  quality  as  that  done  by 

the  public  schools? 
d.'  Are  foreign  languages  spoken? 

3.  Have  the  teachers  qualifications  equal  to  those   of 

public  school  teachers? 

4.  a/  What  other  private  schools  are  there? 
b/  Give  details  concerning  them? 

5.  a.'  What   is   the   number   and   type    of   educational 

classes  in  Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  Y.  W.  C.  A.? 
b.'  What  is  the  attendance? 

Vc'.  Subjects  taught? 
d/  Class  fees? 
e.'  Are  the  classes  limited  in  numbers? 
f .'  What  groups  usually  join  ? 

6.  Are  there  any  special  funds  provided  by  any  of  the 

industries  for  the  betterment  of  the  community 
at  large? 

7.  a/  What   organizations   are    maintaining   a   lecture 

.  course?     Nature? 
bxf  How  well  is  it  attended? 

8.  a.'  Are  there  any  social  settlements  in  the  commu- 

nity? 

b.'  Nature  of  their  work? 
c.'  How  maintained? 
d.'  Are  they  located  where  needed  ? 
e/  What  are  their  chief  educational  facilities? 

9.  a^  Are  churches  doing  educational  work  outside  of 

\  parochial  schools  ? 
J}>'  If  so,  under  what  conditions  ? 
The  investigation  of  the  private  schools  consists 
in  a  study  of  those  schools  which  do  work  parallel 
to  that  done  by  the  public  schools,  in  regard  to 
efficiency  as  compared  with  the  public  schools  and 
the  extent  of  the  field  covered.    While  the  inves- 


94  TECHNIQUE  OF   SOCIAL  SURVEYS 

tigation  of  the  work  of  the  other  private  schools 
as  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  institutional  churches,  settlement 
houses,  etc.,  will  consist  principally  in  the  scope  of 
their  activity. 
III.  Libraries: 

1.  a.'  What  is  the  number  of  libraries  in  the  commu- 

nity? 

b.'  Number  of  books? 
c.'  Of  readers  last  year? 
d/  Hours  of  service? 

2.  a/  Are  poorer    districts  provided  with   library  fa- 

cilities ? 

b.'  How  far  from  most  distant  point  to  a  public  li- 
brary ? 

3.  a.'  Conditions  under  which  books  are  loaned? 

b/  What  is  method  of  distributing  books  to  settle- 
ments, schools,  etc.? 

4.  Are  there  private  collections  at  the  disposal  of  the 
public?    Number,  kind,  etc.? 

5.  Are  books  on  special  subjects,  notably  those  pertain- 
ing to  local  industries,  kept  on  reserve  for  workers 
and  students? 

6.  Are  notices  of  new  books  and  other  library  facilities 
published  regularly? 

7.  Have  libraries  juvenile  departments  ?    Story  hours  ? 

8.  a.'  Are  exhibits   held   and  public  lectures   given   in 

the  library? 

b.'  Do  librarians  actively  aid  readers  in  securing  in- 
formation ? 
Fine  Arts : 

1.  What  advantages  has  community  in  lines  of  art  and 
music  ? 

2.  a/  Are  there  any  clubs  or  organizations  devoted  to 

music  or  art? 

b.'  Number,    membership,   requirements   for   admis- 
sion, work  carried  on? 

3.  a.'  Are  there  any  schools  of  music  and  of  art  ? 
b.'  Give  details? 

c/  Character  and  amount  of  music  and  art  taught 
in  the  public  schools  ? 

4.  a.'  What  is  the  number  of  private  teachers  ? 
b.'  Approximate  number  of  persons  studying? 

5.  a/  Are  any  regular  concerts  given? 
b.'  Types  of  music  furnished 

6.  Are  efforts  put  forth  by  any  organization  to  educate 
the  public  to  an  appreciation  for  the  best  in  music 


EDUCATION  95 

and  art? 

7.     Are  there  any  museums  or  art  exhibitions  ? 
b.'  Give  details?- 

While  music  and  art  have  a  more  or  less  indi- 
rect educational  influence  upon  a  community,  the 
effect  of  these  factors  are  none_j;he  less  evident. 
The  music  that  finds  its  way  into  the  best  of  homes 
is  often  times  positively  degrading,  not  so  much 
in  its  direct  influence  as  in  the  fact  that  it  tends 
to  weaken  the  finer  sensibilities.  In  spite  of  all 
encouragements,  the  degradation  of  musical  taste 
among  large  sections  of  people,  indeed  among  a 
vast  majority,  is  a  cause  for  serious  concern,  and 
any  movement  or  influence  which  tends  to  work 
in  the  upward  direction  deserves  all  the  recogni- 
tion and  support  it  is  possible  to  give. 
•"-  V.  The  Press : 

1.  a.'  What  is  the  number  of  local  newspapers? 

b/  Are  there  any  printed  in  a  foreign  language  ? 
c/  What  language  ?     Circulation  of  each  ? 

2.  a/  Are  the  newspapers  in  sympathy  with  civic  im- 

provements?    What  paper  takes  the  lead  in  re- 
form movements  ?     How  are  its  eif orts  received  ? 
b.'  Are  they  controlled  by  any  special  interests,  or 
are  they  entirely  independent? 

3.  What  magazines  are  most  read? 
VI.  Higher  Education : 

1.  a.'  Is  there  any  college,  normal  school,  or  university 
in  the  community? 

b.'  If  there  is,  under  what  auspices  ? 

c.'  Give  capacity,  cost  of  maintenance,  number  en- 
rolled^ character,  of  work  done,  general  effect 
upon  community? 


H.     RELIGIOUS  ACTIVITIES. 

While  the  efforts  of  the  churches  and  various 
other  religious  societies  have  always  been  directed 
primarily  toward  the  social  and  moral  betterment 
of  society,  the  work  of  the  church  in  regard  to 
definite  community  welfare  work  has  usually  been 
a  spasmodic  or  temporary  uprising  to  fight  some 
definite  evil.  Consequently  there  has  always  been 
a  lack  of  concerted  action  on  the  part  of  the 
churches.  If  a  definite  policy  is  once  arrived  at 
the  difficulty  arising  from  lack  of  co-operation 
will  be  largely  overcome.  (18.) 

1.  What  is  the  number  of  churches  in  your  community? 

2.  a.'  What  denominations,   creeds,   or   sects,   do   they 

represent  ? 

b.'  Any  other  organizations  in  community,  which 
supplement  the  church  but  which  are  not  con- 
nected therewith? 

3.  a.'  What  organizations  in  the  community  are  com- 

peting with  the  church  ? 

b.'  What  is  the  ethical  influence  of  these  bodies? 
c.'  Could  churches  co-operate  with  them,  or  are  they 

opposed  to  the  fundamental  principles  for  which 

the  church  stands? 

4.  Are  there  separate  churches   serving  particular  na- 
tionalities ? 

5.  a.'  Are  churches  united  on  all  civic  questions? 
b/  If  not,  on  what  do  they  agree  and  disagree? 
c.'  Why? 

d/  Which  are  active  with  regard  to  civic  improve- 
ments ? 

6.  a.'  Is  there  favor  in  the  community  toward  church 

(18.)  See  "Sociological  and  Religious  Survey  of  Seventy 
Cities"  the  Presbyterian  Board,  156  Fifth  Avenue,  N.  Y. 
1912. 

"Digest  of  Social  and  Religious  Survey  of  Bristol,"  Pub- 
lic Library,  Bristol,  Conn.  1912. 

"Community  Study"  by  Warren  H.  Wilson. 

"Survey  for  Rural  Communities,"  George  F.  Wells. 

"The  Way  to  Win."  Fred  B.  Fisher. 


EDUCATION  97 

federation  ? 
b.'  What     could    be    done    in    the    community   with 

united  churches  that  could  not  be  done  now? 
c.'  Why  is  it  impracticable  now? 

7.  a.'  Is  there  opposition   to   the   church   in    the    com- 

munity ? 
b.'  On  what  grounds  ? 

8.  a.'  Is  there  a  ministerial  association? 
b.'  Membership? 

c/  Object? 

d/  Does  it  include  all  the  ministers  of  the  commu- 
nity? 

e.'  Does  it  take  an  active  part  in  civic  movements  ? 
f.'  In  prevention  of  disease? 
g/  In  social  and  moral  prophilaxis  ? 

9.  To  what  portion  of  the  community  do  churches  feel 
they  owe  obligation?     Do  they  avoid  poor  districts? 

10.  a.'  WThat  methods  are  used  to  attract  the  different 

members  of  the  community? 
b.'  Are  there  classes  or  groups  in  the  community 

which  are  not  reached  by  the  churches? 
c.'  Describe  them? 

11.  What  additions  and  changes  are  needed  in  the  reli- 
gious activity  in  your  community? 

12.  a.'  What   work   are  the   churches   doing   outside   of 

their  regular  religious  services? 

b.'  Do  their  activities  extend  to  those  who  seem 
most  in  need  of  them,  or  to  their  own  members 
only? 

c/  Do  churches  do  any  training  for  actual  social 
work? 

d.'  Do  all  the  churches  co-operate  with  the  charita- 
ble societies?  If  any  do  not,  why  not? 

e.'  In  what  lines  are  the  churches  and  organizations 
of  the  community  making  the  most  marked  suc- 
cess? 

13.  a.'  Do  differences  between  churched  and  non-church- 

ed and  between  denominations  correspond  to  so- 
cial differences? 

b.'  What  attitude  do  the  workingmen  take  toward 
the  church? 

c.'  If  unfavorable,  why? 

14.  a.'  Membership  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  Y.  W.  C.  A.? 
b.'  Number  of  individuals  reached  by  the  activity  of 

each? 

c. 'Nature  of  their  various  activities  and  the  gen- 
eral attitude  toward  them  by  the  community  in 


TECHNIQUE  OF  SOCIAL  SURVEYS 


Nj  *? 


C   .?    .  ,>J 


.c/t:C  /" 

a/a/  re  S 


«,  N; 


**S 

10  <!, 

0  X 

C  <> 

i>  k 

x  V 

I  t) 


,\ 


<T>   * 

^   « 

4)  ^ 


1s     -5 

Q   ;  -k 


^   ^ 
P 

*  ,| 


«o   0 

«   \ 

*•    ^ 

^  <* 
^ 
L 


S7) 


Iv 


s:  0 


EDUCATION  99 

general  ? 

d.'  Character  and  group  of  the  regular  weekly 
meeting  and  lectures? 

15.  a.'  What  is  the  total  membership  in  the  community 

of  the  churches?      Of    the    affiliated    organiza- 
tions ? 

b/  Membership  of  other  organizations  whose  pri- 
mary object  is  the  religious  and  moral  better- 
ment of  the  community  ? 

16.  a.'  Are  all  the  above  agencies  united  in  their  efforts 

to  rid  the  town  of  Saloons  and  other  objectional 
places  where  people  congregate  ? 
b.'  What  is  being  done  to  create  an  interest  in  other 
things  not  objectionable? 


Part  HI 


Interpolation  and  Use 
of  Data 


INTERPRETATION  OF  DATA 

When  the  social  survey  of  a  community  has 
been  completed ;  when  the  data  concerning  the  so- 
cial conditions  and  activities  have  been  gathered 
and  all  the  various  aspects  of  each  problem  have 
been  carefully  compiled  the  real  work  of  the  sur- 
vey has  just  begun. 

If  the  survey  is  to  have  any  value  in  the  com- 
munity beyond  the  value  of  getting  a  group  of 
people  to  take  stock  of  their  surroundings,  the 
data  must  be  thoroughly  analyzed  and  the  means 
of  determining  a  constructive  policy  for  the  com- 
munity, to  serve  as  the  basis  for  a  program  of 
development  extending  over  a  long  period  of 
years.  If  the  survey  has  been  carried  out  as  out- 
lined in  the  preceding  pages,  a  large  representa- 
tion of  the  leading  citizens  will  have  formed  the 
nucleus  for  a  growing  social  consciousness,  which 
will  continue  to  be  an  effective  force  in  the  com- 
munity, if  they  have  a  well  definite  program  to 
follow.  However,  if  nothing  definite  results  f roTn 
the  survey  and  this  newly  awakened  group  con- 
sciousness is  permitted  to  die  because  of  no  well- 
defined  policy  for  future  activity,  all  the  time  and 
energy  spent  in  making  this  study  of  the  com- 
munity will  be  worse  than  wasted,  nothwithstand- 
ing  the  fact  that  the  survey  may  be  scientifically 
accurate.  In  the  future  any  effort  toward  con- 
structive community  service  will  feel  the  deter- 
ring influence  resulting  from  the  failure  of  the 
survey  to  get  results.  Hence,  while  a  scientific 
survey  would  be  well  worth  while  without  any 
immediate  local  results  from  the  standpoint  of 
securing  valuable  scientific  data,  the  primary  ob- 
ject of  a  survey  is  to  be  of  benefit  to  the  commu- 
nity in  which  it  is  made. 


104  TECHNIQUE   OF   SOCIAL   SURVEYS 

The  analysis  of  the  data  should  show  the  in- 
ter-relation of  the  different  group  activities  and 
the  effect  of  any  undesirable  conditions  upon  the 
life  of  the  entire  group.  It  should  show  why  some 
of  the  existing  agencies  within  the  community 
have  failed  to  function  to  greater  efficiency,  and 
wherein  their  weakness  lies.  We  cannot  stop, 
however,  when  we  have  pointed  out  the  weak- 
nesses of  institutions,  and  the  failure  of  the  com- 
munity to  meet  its  needs.  We  must  show  by 
means  of  a  simple  and  workable  plan,  how  these 
weaknesses  may  be  turned  into  futtfre  success. 
Time  and  patience  are  important  factors  in  secur- 
ing any  reform,  but  there  are  always  certain 
phases  of  the  community  life  which  may  be  dealt 
with  at  once,  while  the  larger  problems  should 
be  incorporated  into  the  constructive  program  to 
be  followed  during  the  coming  years. 

Since  cities  vary  so  greatly  in  their  general 
composition  and  characteristics  no  single  scheme 
of  survey  can  be  drawn  up  so  as  to  be  equally  ap- 
plicable in  detail  to  all  communities,  but  uniform- 
ity of  method  is  necessary  for  clearness  and  is 
indispensable  for  comparison  of  conditions. 
Without  some  uniformity,  the  data  gathered  in 
an  investigation  would  lose  all  of  its  future  com- 
parative and  scientific  value.  The  scheme  here 
proposed  is  framed  only  as  a  basis,  the  details 
of  which  may  well  be  modified  when  applied  to 
widely  diversified  communities  without  destroy- 
ing its  worth  for  making  comparisons  and  for 
drawing  general  conclusions.  Likewise,  the  in- 
dividual questions  are  meant  to  be  suggestive  only 
and  should  by  the  results  their  answers  reveal, 
lead  on  to  a  much  more  extended  inquiry.  For 
example,  if  the  question  relating  to  seasonal  em- 
ployment discloses  the  fact  that  a  certain  com- 
munity has  more  than  the  average  amount  of 


INTERPRETATION  OF  DATA  105 

seasonal  employment,  an  effort  should  be  made  to 
find  some  means  of  relieving  that  situation  and 
usual  attendant  conditions.  One  community  in 
which  there  were  many  unemployed  men  each 
winter,  made  a  special  effort  to  start  classes  in 
the  nature  of  continuation  and  trade  schools  with 
remarkable  success.  Or,  if  the  statistics  show 
that  an  unusually  large  number  of  boys  stopped 
attending  school  at  the  end  of  the  sixth  grade, 
further  investigations  should  be  made  to  find  the 
reason,  and  to  see  how  that  situation  could  be  pre- 
vented in  the  future. 

Comparison  of  statistics  and  facts  secured 
should  be  compared  with  similar  data  from  other 
communities  to  show  how  places  of  a  like  nature 
compare  with  regard  to  the  different  points  taken 
into  consideration.  Below  are  given  some  sam- 
ples of  data  very  easily  compared  and  which  like- 
wise prove  to  be  of  very  great  interest  to  members 
of  the  respective  communities. 

COMPARISON  OF  STATISTICS. 
Birthrate —  Per  M. 

Clay  Center :. 19.5 

Minneapolis,  Kansas  24.4 

Marysville  17.8 

Beloit  23.5 

Deathrate —  Per  M. 

Claycenter 17. 

Minneapolis    : 11.6 

Marysville  12.7 

Beloit  16.6 

Infant  Mortality —  Per  C. 

Clay  Center 7.1 

Minneapolis 4.2 

Marysville 5.4 

Beloit  .  8.3 


106  TECHNIQUE   OF   SOCIAL   SURVEYS 

Homes  Owned  by  Occupant — 

Clay  Center  61% 

Minneapolis 66% 

Marysville 68% 

Beloit 65% 

Houses  Connected — Sewer — 

Clay  Center "...  50% 

Minneapolis 45% 

Marysville 36% 

Beloit 65% 


Houses  with  City  Water — 

Clay  Center 66% 

Minneapolis 72% 

Marysville 45% 

Beloit 79% 

If  there  are  any  outstanding  differences,  or  if 
the  community  does  not  measure  up  to  the  stand- 
ard set  by  the  state  or  to  other  parts  of  the  com- 
munity, the  cause  of  this  difference  should  be 
found.  The  plans  for  the  future  should  eliminate 
the  causes  which  seem  to  be  retarding  the  com- 
munity's greatest  possibilities  and  should,  as  far 
as  can  be  done,  made  to  fit  into  the  institutions 
already  existing.  The  failure  of  many  reform 
movements  is  due  to  proposed  methods  which 
could  not  be  introduced  without  too  abrupt  a 
change  in  the  existing  order  of  things.  For  illus- 
tration, in  a  community  where  less  than  400  out 
of  3,300  homes  were  connected  with  the  city  sewer 
system,  a  workable  plan  was  given  for  keeping 
the  community  reasonably  sanitary  until  sewer 
connections  could  be  made.  Instruction  was  given 
on  how  to  keep  outhouses  and  barnyards  as  sani- 
tary as  possible.  In  short,  it  is  necessary  to  sug- 
gest one  step  at  a  time  in  proposing  changes  in 
the  average  community. 


INTERPRETATION  OF  DATA  107 

Another  point  needs  to  be  mentioned  here.  In 
interpreting  the  facts  and  findings  of  the  survey, 
"don't  be  a  muckraker." 

There  is  sometimes  a  temptation  to  bring  out 
something  more  or  less  sensational  in  the  report 
of  the  survey.  Most  communities,  however,  are 
not  deliberately  harboring  undesirable  conditions 
and  activities,  the  more  frequent  situation  is  that 
the  world  has  moved  on  and  they  have  been  left 
behind  in  some  particular. 

Where  the  community  excells,  give  them  credit 
for  their  excellence.  Where  they  fall  short,  find 
the  cause  of  the  shortcoming  and  help  them  to 
overcome  their  difficulty. 

The  above  mentioned  phases  of  interpretation 
of  data  has  reference  primarily  to  the  local  situa- 
tion. There  is  another,  and  by  some  considered 
to  be  an  even  more  important  aspect.  If  the 
social  survey  is  to  have  any  permanent  signifi- 
cance it  must  reveal  more  than  the  facts  of  life 
in  the  group.  It  must  show  the  results  of  the 
social  forces  at  work  within  the  community  and 
the  inter-relation  of  the  many  group  activities 
upon  each  other  and  upon  life  of  the  community 
as  a  whole.  It  is  only  by  a  study  of  these  facts 
gathered  by  unbiased  individuals  and  compared 
and  studied  by  persons  who  are  not  trying  to 
"prove  something"  which  they  have  previously 
theorized  upon  that  we  will  be  able  to  develop  a 
sound  social  philosophy. 

In  short,  an  interpretation  of  the  data  collected 
in  the  survey  should  include,  (1)  a  careful  analy- 
sis of  the  situation  as  it  presents  itself;  (2)  a 
study  of  the  conditions  and  activities,  both  favor- 
able and  unfavorable,  which  have  resulted  in  the 
situations  as  found;  (3)  methods  of  aiding  in  the 
development  of  conditions  which  are  proving 
favorable;  (4)  eliminating  unfavorable  condi- 


108  TECHNIQUE   OF   SOCIAL  SURVEYS 

tions;  (5)  proposing  a  program  which  will  tend 
to  develop  a  more  efficient  type  of  conditions  and 
activities,  and  which  will  tend  toward  a  greater 
conservation  of  energy  and  elimination  of  waste. 


PUBLICITY 

No  reform  movement,  nor  important  change  in 
the  community's  activities  can  be  forced  upon  the 
community  from  the  outside.  Anything  of  per- 
manent worth  must  come  from  a  desire  within  the 
group  for  such  change  or  reform.  By  conducting 
the  survey  along  the  lines  indicated,  a  nucleus  of 
social  consciousness  will  have  been  awakened 
among  the  leaders  of  every  social  group  and  or- 
ganization within  the  community. 

In  order  to  attain  the  desired  results,  this  con- 
sciousness must  grow  and  reach  an  ever  increas- 
ing number  of  individuals,  until  the  rank  and  file 
of  the  community  are  back  of  the  movement.  Be- 
fore the  majority  of  the  members  of  the  commu- 
nity will  have  the  same  attitude  toward  any  ex- 
tensive change  or  reform,  however,  they  will  need 
to  have  the  same  insight  into  the  local  situation 
and  the  causes  back  of  it,  that  the  group  of  lead- 
ers who  have  been  active  in  carrying  on  the  sur- 
vey have. 

This  insight  into  local  conditions  and  activities 
and  the  possibility  of  improvement  and  greater 
efficiency  will  be  reached  by  the  majority  of  the 
community,  only  when  they  have  been  given  the 
facts  in  the  matter.  That  is  why  the  Publicity 
Committee  has  the  most  important  work  of  the 
entire  survey. 

The  object  desired  will  never  be  reached  by 
having  published  one  or  two  formal  reports  in 
the  newspapers  or  a  formal  report  in  pamphlet 
form,  no  matter  how  valuable  such  a  report  may 
be.  While  these  formal  reports  have  great  value, 
especially  for  comparative  purposes  and  for  the 
leaders  of  the  various  social  agencies,  they  must 
be  only  a  part  of  tn"e  general  campaign  of  publicity 


110  TECHNIQUE   OF   SOCIAL  SURVEYS 

which  is  carried  on  for  the  benefit  of  the  local  com- 
munity. 

As  stated  before,  the  discussion  of  the  data  to 
be  collected,  the  co-operation  of  the  newspapers 
must  be  secured  to  carry  on  this  publicity  work 
successfully.  The  persons  in  charge  of  the  news- 
paper publicity  should  be  experts  and  have  some- 
thing of  interest  concerning  the  survey  to  publish 
every  day.  The  newspapers  will  soon  appreciate 
the  news  value  of  the  survey  stories,  and  then  it 
will  require  great  tact  to  know  what  to  give  and 
what  is  not  yet  ready  for  publication.  Often  by 
giving  a  story  concerning  some  line  of  investiga- 
tion more  harm  than  good  will  be  done  in  that 
it  will  hinder  the  completion  of  the  investigation, 
or  kill  interest  in  the  matter  before  a  final  report 
is  made. 

When  the  work  has  been  completed  and  the 
program  decided  upon,  the  different  projects  may 
be  pushed  systematically  by  the  newspapers. 
Carefully  prepared  tables  of  statistics  regarding 
the  local  situation  should  be  made;  comparative 
figures  of  the  situation  in  other  communities; 
proposed  changes  and  the  results  in  other  com- 
munities where  the  proposed  changes  have  been 
tried. 

This  newspaper  campaign  should  be  supple- 
mented by  special  meetings  at  clubs  and  organiza- 
tions. The  churches  should  be  enlisted  in  certain 
aspects  of  the  matter ;  certain  phases  may  be  suc- 
cessfully presented  to  the  public  school  children. 
In  fact,  every  organization  in  the  community 
should  hold  a  meeting  and  deal  with  certain  as- 
pects of  the  survey.  At  the  same  time  special 
bulletins  and  circulars  may  be  distributed,  since 
it  is  essential  that  every  houshold,  and  every  indi- 
vidual of  the  community  should  be  reached  by 
several  aspects  of  the  investigation. 


PUBLICITY  111 

This  concerted  campaign  of  publicity  carried 
on  by  the  newspapers,  by  bulletins  and  circulars, 
and  by  the  public  meetings,  should  gradually  pre- 
pare the  community  for  the  climax  of  the  survey, 
namely,  the  Community  Institute  and  Exhibit. 
The  entire  community  should  look  forward  to 
this  Institute,  and  every  effort  should  be  put  forth 
to  make  it  worth  while.  Prominent  workers  and 
lecturers  should  be  secured  in  order  to  crystallize 
the  social  consciousness  which  has  been  growing. 
The  results  of  the  data  collected  should  be  pre- 
pared in  a  clear  and  convincing  manner  for  the 
exhibit,  by  means  of  maps,  charts  and  exhibits  of 
all  the  various  phases  of  community  life  as  indi- 
cated under  each  phase  of  this  outline.  The  dif- 
ferent problems  discussed  by  the  newspapers  and 
at  the  numerous  meetings,  are  all  graphically  rep- 
resented here.  If  this  Exhibit  had  been  prepared 
without  the  extensive  preliminary  campaign,  the 
proportion  of  the  population  coming  to  the  exhibit 
and  institute  would  be  relatively  much  smaller, 
and  the  amount  of  material  presented  would  be 
confusing  to  those  who  did  come.  Hence,  it  is 
extremely  important  that  a  very  well  planned 
publicity  campaign  be  carried  on  in  order  that 
the  interest  of  the  entire  community  will  center 
around  the  Community  Institute,  or  "Know  Your 
City  Week,"  when  the  results  of  the  survey  will 
be  presented,  and  the  immediate  necessities  and 
future  possibilities  are  outlined.  (1) 

(1)  A  most  excellent  guide  for  the  publicity  work  of 
a  survey,  especially  the  work  of  preparing  and  presenting 
to  the  public  an  exhibit  of  the  survey,  is  "The  A.  B.  C.  of 
Exhibit  Planning,"  by  Routzohn,  E.  G.  and  M.  S.  Russell 
Sage  Foundation,  New  York. 


THE  COMMUNITY  PROGRAM 

A  Community,  like  an  individual,  will  "learn 
to  do  by  doing."  The  leaders  in  the  investigation 
of  any  community  may  see  a  great  idealistic 
future  before  them,  and  the  program  outlined  for 
the  next  decade  should  be  in  the  direction  of  this 
ideal.  But  the  immediate  program,  that  phase 
of  the  future  of  the  community  with  which  the 
majority  of  the  people  will  be  interested,  and  the 
only  phase  in  which  their  active  interest  can  be 
secured  must  deal  with  those  problems  which 
effect  them  directly,  and  which  can  be  met  at  once 
by  co-operative  effort. 

Problems  relating  to  the  health,  convenience 
and  comfort  of  the  community ;  the  specific  prob- 
lems of  housing,  sanitation,  disposal  of  the  city's 
waste;  the  improvement  of  the  water  supply  or 
milk  supply;  and  many  other  concrete  problems 
dealing  with  '^conditioning  phenomena"  of  the 
community  will  hold  the  interest  of  the  rank  and 
file  of  the  people,  and  by  getting  them  to  take  an 
active  part  in  meeting  some  definite  community 
problem,  they  will  be  trained  to  carry  on  more 
subtle  and  complex  community  problems.  A  new 
and  broader  social  consciousness  will  have  been 
created  which  will  be  prepared  to  meet  any  prob- 
lem of  the  community  which  may  arise. 

If  the  problems  of  the  community  are  outlined 
in  too  general  terms,  or  if  the  greater  community 
problems  are  put  in  the  foreground,  the  average 
member  of  the  community  will  fail  to  understand 
it  because  of  its  complexity,  or,  feel  that  the  prob- 
lem is  too  idealistic  to  waste  his  time  upon  it. 
On  the  other  hand,  if  the  more  simple,  concrete 

*See  Hayes,  E.  C.  Introduction  to  Sociology,  p.  24. 


THE    COMMUNTY    PROGRAM  113 

problems  are  set  forth,  for  the  immediate  pro- 
gram, and  the  greater  problems  for  the  subse- 
quent program,  the  average  citizen  will  take  ac- 
tive part,  and  "learn  to  do  by  doing." 

The  way  in  which  a  community  may  react  to  a 
social  survey  is  illustrated  by  Minneapolis,  Kan- 
sas, a  county  seat  town  of  about  2,000  population. 

For  nearly  a  year  after  the  Survey  and  Com- 
munity Institute,  both  local  newspapers  carried 
editorial  comment,  and  results  of  the  survey  find- 
ings, in  each  week's  issue.  Several  clubs  and  or- 
ganizations took  certain  features  of  the  survey 
as  a  basis  for  their  activity.  Churches  continued 
the  interest  manifested  during  the  community 
week  and  the  City  Council  took  under  considera- 
tion the  enforcement  of  sanitary  and  health  regu- 
lations which  had  been  neglected.  To  carry  their 
work  out  they  made  use  of  charts  and  maps  pre- 
pared during  the  survey.  In  short,  the  hundred 
or  more  people  who  helped  make  the  survey,  re- 
tained an  interest  in  the  community  and  helped 
to  remedy  its  shortcomings  and  emphasize,  its  spe- 
cial advantages.  The  efforts  put  forth  were  not 
those  of  a  few  enthusiastic  individuals  but  rather 
a  Community  program  following  a  social  survey 
by  the  community. 

When  the  community  has  once  taken  concerted 
action  on  any  proposition,  and  realized  their 
strength,  they  will  on  their  own  accord  take  up 
other  matters,  provided  the  need  for  action  along 
other  lines  has  been  shown.  Consequently  the 
problem  of  the  survey  is  among  other  things  to 
find  the  needs  and  the  possibilities  of  a  given  com- 
munity and  with  this  knowledge  at  hand,  a  con- 
structive program  for  a  considerable  period  of 
years  should  be  worked  out.  The  problems  to  be 
met  should  deal  first,  with  the  more  pressing 
needs,  which  can  be  met  with  comparatively  little 


114  TECHNIQUE   OF   SOCIAL  SURVEYS 

exertion  on  the  part  of  the  majority,  and  lead  on 
from  one  problem  to  another,  to  the  more  concrete 
problems  which  require  the  support  of  an  en- 
lightened community,  possessing  a  clearly  defined 
social  consciousness,  trained  to  service  by  suc- 
cessfully meeting  some  of  the  more  simple  com- 
munity problems. 


SELECTED  BIBLIOGRAPHY. 


ARONOVICI,  CAROL. 

Knowing  One's  Own  Community.     77P. 

Boston,  American  Unitarian  Society. 

The  Social  Survey.  255P.  The  Harper  Press, 

1916. 
BAILEY,  L.  H. 

Survey  Idea  in  Country  Life  Work.     21P. 

Ithaca,  N.  Y.     1911. 
BLACKMAR,  F.  W. 

Purpose  and  Benefits  of  Social  Surveys,  Kan- 
sas Municipalities,  Vol.   1,  No.   10,  Sept. 
1915. 
BURGESS,  E.  W. 

Social  Survey  Exhibits.  Kan.  Mun.  Vol.   1, 

No.  10,  1915. 
BRANFORD,  V.  V. 

"The  Sociological  Survey"  The  Sociological 

Review,  April,  1912. 
BYINGTON,  M.  F. 

What  Social  Workers  Should  Know  About 
Their  Own  Communities.     Charity  Organ. 
Department.      Russell    Sage    Foundation. 
1915. 
CARROLL,  C.  E. 

Community  Survey  in  Relation  to  Church, 

Efficiency,  N.  Y.  Abingden  Press,  1915. 
DANIELS,  JOHN. 

Social    Survey;    its    reasons,    methods    and 
results.        Proceedings    Nat'l    Conference 
Charities  and  Corrections.     1910. 
ELMER,  MANUEL  C. 

Social  Surveys  of  Urban  Communities,  Me- 
nasha,  Wis.  Banta  Publishing  Co.     1914. 


116  BIBLIOGRAPHY 

FISHER,  F.  B.  AND  OTHERS. 

(the)  Way  to  Win,  N.  Y.  Laymen's  Mission- 
ary Movement  of  tbe  Methodist  Church. 
1915. 
GALPIN,  C.  J. 

Methods  of  Making  a  Social  Survey  of  a  Ru- 
ral Community.     Madison,  Wis.     1912. 
GALPIN,  C.  J.  AND  DAVIES,  G.  W. 

Social  Surveys    of    Rural    School    Districts. 

Madison,  Wis.     1914. 
GlLLIN,  J.  L. 

Application  of  the  social  survey  to  small  com- 
munities.    Proceedings  American  Sociolo- 
gical Society  Proceedings.     1911. 
Social  Survey  and  Its  Further  Development. 
In  American  Statistical  Association  Publica- 
tions.   N.  S.  Vol.  14,  Sept.  1915. 
HAYES,  EDWARD  C. 

Classification  of  Social  Phenomena. 
American  Journal  of  Sociology.  Vol.  17,  1911. 
HARRISON,  S.  M. 

Community  Action  Through  Social  Surveys. 
Development  of  Social  Surveys. 
N.  Y.  Russell  Sage  Foundation.     1913. 
HENDERSON,  C.  R. 

Catechism  for  Study  of  Social  Organizations, 

D.  C.    Heath  &  Co.    1894. 
KELLOG,  P.  U.  HARRISON,  S.  M.  AND  OTHERS. 

Social  Survey.    N.  Y.  Russell  Sage  Founda- 
tion.    1912. 
MILWAUKEE,  (Wis.) 

Bureau  of  Economy  and  Efficiency. 
Bulletins  No.  1-19.    Milwaukee  1911-12. 
PALMER,  DR.  GEORGE. 

"Survey  of  Small  Cities"  World  Today  Vol. 
21,  Page  828,  1911. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY  117 

RlLEY,  T.  J. 

Sociology  and  Social  Surveys   (in  American 
Journal  of  Sociology.  Vol.  16,  May,  1911.) 
SMALL  AND  VINCENT. 

Introduction  to  the  Study  of  Sociology.    N.  Y. 

1894. 
TAFT,  A.  B. 

Community  Study  for  Country  Districts.   N. 
Y.  Missionary  Education  Movement  of  the 
U.  S.  and  Canada. 
WELLS,  G.  F. 

Social  Survey  of  Rural  Communities.     150 

5th  Ave.  N.  Y.,  1912. 
WILSON,  W.  H. 

Community  Study  for  Cities.     N.  Y.  Mis- 
sionary Movement  of  the  U.  S.  and  Canada. 


-— 


JKSS3SSK*— 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


